Meet Sam and Michelle, co-founders of Northern Bars, who have reimagined the classic Nanaimo Bar into a bite-sized, travel-friendly treat that honours its Canadian roots, in both Classic and whimsical flavours like Smokey Maple, Apple & Cinnamon and Saskatoon Berry & Lemon. With over 16 years in culinary arts, marketing and business, this Vancouver-based duo combines traditional techniques with modern flair to create artisanal bars that appeal to both locals and travellers. In this Q&A, they share their journey, inspiration and passion for celebrating Canadian heritage through flavour. —Noa Nichol
What was the defining moment that made you decide to leave your corporate jobs and pursue Northern Bars full-time?
Samuel: Opening my own food business has been a dream since I was a kid. Cooking and baking bring me so much joy—it’s about creating something people can enjoy and remember. When Michelle and I thought about Northern Bars, it wasn’t just an idea; it felt like a calling. We took our time with the decision; it took two years of planning and conversations. Michelle, who still works full-time, convinced me that to make this succeed, I’d need to commit my all. It wasn’t an overnight leap; it was a deliberate step towards building something meaningful together.
As avid travelers, you’ve sampled confections from around the world. How did those experiences influence your modern interpretation of the Nanaimo Bar?
Michelle: Our travels have shown us a lot about what makes a confection memorable. We chose the Nanaimo Bar because it’s so uniquely Canadian—distinctly BC—but almost impossible to find outside Canada. We wanted to celebrate that local uniqueness while also reimagining it for a modern audience. One thing that stood out during our travels was the focus on quality ingredients, like in Japan, where top confectioneries elevate even the simplest treats by using the finest components. We knew our Nanaimo Bars needed that same quality.
We also wanted them to be shareable, shelf-stable, and travel-ready, so people could easily gift them or take them home as a gift. Developing a recipe to meet those standards took time, especially finding the right balance of taste, texture, and durability. Presentation was also key—great packaging and uniform, bite-sized bars are essential. Food gifts are emotional; they should make people proud to give or excited to enjoy themselves.
With that in mind, we worked with a Vancouver-based designer to create the beautifully packaged boxes that feature Vancouver’s iconic scenes and crafted each bar to look as good as it tastes. Every detail reflects what we’ve learned from confectioneries around the world and our love for this classic Canadian treat.
What was the process like for developing the perfect bite-sized, aesthetically appealing Nanaimo Bar that would also travel well as a Canadian souvenir?
Samuel: We took a perfectionist approach to developing our Nanaimo Bars because we wanted every detail to be right—the shelf stability, premium ingredients, travel-friendliness, packaging, and distribution. At the start, we focused intensely on the bar itself. We knew that if we couldn’t achieve the perfect, shareable bite-sized format, with uniformity and scalability, then we wouldn’t have a viable product.
Once we perfected the bar’s recipe and look, we shifted focus to packaging. We wanted the packaging to feel uniquely Canadian yet modern, something that could proudly be gifted as a true Canadian souvenir. It’s been a process of fine-tuning every step, and seeing it come together is incredibly rewarding.
You’ve stated that Northern Bars marries tradition and innovation. How do you balance respecting the classic Nanaimo Bar with your desire to push creative boundaries?
Samuel: We’re very aware of how beloved the Nanaimo Bar is, and we want to honor that. For many people, it’s a family recipe they grew up with, so we’re careful not to stray too far from the classic. The key for us is keeping the integrity of the original recipe—especially the balance of those three iconic layers: the soft chocolate top, the rich custard buttercream center, and the coconut-chocolate base. Maintaining the right ratios is essential to delivering that authentic experience.
Where we’ve chosen to innovate is in the size and packaging. By reimagining the bars in a modern, bite-sized format, we’ve made them more shareable and travel-friendly, perfect as a Canadian souvenir. It’s our way of balancing tradition with a fresh, practical twist that makes the Nanaimo Bar more accessible to a broader audience.
How did your combined experiences in culinary arts, marketing, and international business development shape your approach to growing Northern Bars in a competitive food market?
Michelle: Our combined backgrounds have taught us the importance of balancing commercial viability with our vision for the perfect product. Planning Northern Bars was a meticulous process—it took us 2.5 years to bring it to market because we wanted to get it right. This was a significant personal investment; we put our life savings into this venture and managed everything on a tight budget.
We approached every decision with caution, analyzing everything from the unit economics of each bar to our marketing strategy and identifying the best channels for reaching our audience. We know it’s a competitive market, so we had to be especially prudent. Every step was carefully calculated to ensure we were building a sustainable business, one that could thrive in a challenging market while staying true to our vision.
Why is it important for Northern Bars to acknowledge the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, and how do you incorporate that recognition into your business values?
Michelle: For us, acknowledging the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples is about honoring history, culture, and showing respect for the land on which we’re privileged to operate. We’re genuinely grateful for the opportunity to build our business here, and we want to integrate this recognition into the very fabric of Northern Bars, guiding us to approach our work thoughtfully and responsibly.
Beyond a land acknowledgment, we’re committed to doing more. We’re always listening and looking for ways to build meaningful connections with Indigenous communities and incorporate respectful practices into our business as we grow.
What challenges have you encountered in scaling Northern Bars while maintaining artisanal quality, and how have you overcome them?
Samuel: Scaling while preserving our artisanal quality is definitely a work in progress—and, honestly, I hope it always remains a continuous challenge. Northern Bars is a unique product, so we have to do everything in-house, from tempering our chocolate ganache to meticulously assembling each bar.
As we grow, we’re introducing more specialized tools and machinery to meet demand, but we’re very deliberate about maintaining our standards. Every piece of equipment is carefully chosen to support our processes without compromising the quality and craftsmanship that define Northern Bars. It’s about finding that balance, where we can scale up while still honoring the care and precision that make our bars special.
What does the branding of ‘Northern Bars’ as a tribute to Canada mean to you personally, and how do you hope it resonates with your international customers?
Samuel: That’s a great question. We wanted a name that subtly nods to the Nanaimo Bar but also builds its own identity. ‘Northern Bars’ felt right because it connects to Canada in a meaningful way—it’s the ‘True North, strong and free,’ after all. Our goal is to create a product Canadians feel proud to share, whether it’s as a gift for friends and family or a treat for visitors to Canada. We hope that ‘Northern Bars’ captures a sense of place and quality that resonates with international customers, too, giving them a taste of something distinctly Canadian.
How has your relationship as life partners influenced the way you work together in building and managing Northern Bars?
Michelle: Ha-ha, it’s not always easy! Many people warned us before we do this that the work will seep into our life together, and the life aspect will seep into our work, and they’re not wrong about it.
We jokingly always say that Northern Bars is our first child. It’s a real challenge but we grew a lot from this experience and learn to work with each other as partners. It’s a growth in both our personal, professional, and romantic relationships altogether. We have always been great working through issues together prior to starting the business, and we have a lot of trust and respect of each other’s craft. I think that helps us as we get into the business – we both have to trust each other’s expertise on different skill sets.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for the future of Northern Bars, and how do you envision further elevating the Nanaimo Bar on a global stage?
Samuel: We’ve already started expanding our range beyond the Classic Nanaimo Bar with flavors inspired by Canadian ingredients, like Saskatoon Berry, Apple Cinnamon, and Smokey Maple. Actually, we’re very thrilled to launch two new crowd-pleasers: Espresso and Choco-Banana this month!
Looking ahead, we’re focused on building partnerships with other Canadian food and beverage producers to introduce even more unique flavors that highlight Canada’s rich culinary diversity. For example, we’re excited by the idea of working with iconic ingredients like ice wine to elevate the Nanaimo Bar and bring a taste of Canada to the global stage.
Tough question: your fave flavour?!
Samuel: I really like the Classic Nanaimo Bars, although I have a personal love for the newly launching Choco-Banana flavor
Michelle: Saskatoon Berry & Lemon.
Win! A $340 Share the Cheer Holiday Gift Box From Northern Bars!
One lucky Canadian winner will receive a pair of $340 Share the Cheer Holiday Gift Box From Northern Bars, including:
- Winner gets 2 boxes of our 16-pc Assorted + new flavour called ‘Dark Chocolate Collection’ (launching in November). If we somehow don’t make the DCC, we can do the Classic.
- And they also can send to 5 of their friends 16-pc Assorted / Dark Chocolate Collection / Classic along with a greeting card!
- The total is worth $340 dollars (pre-tax!)
To enter, head over to Instagram, follow @northernbarscanada and @vitadailymedia and make sure to fulfil all the entry rules in the caption of the corresponding contest post. Contest opens November 1, 2024 and closes November 8, 2024. Complete contest rules and regulations here. Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.
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