Nana turns from finance to food
Muffins, biscuits, cupcakes and more at Nana's Kitchen & Knits
Jessica Davey-Quantick
Northern News Services
Friday, February 3, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Donna Mcleod takes her role as nana seriously - so seriously she's turned it into a business.
Donna Mcleod is Centre Square Mall's new Countess of Cupcakes (as well as cookies, tarts, pies, breads and more), after opening Nana's Kitchen & Knits on Wednesday. - Jessica Davey-Quantick/NNSL photo |
On Wednesday, she opened Nana's Kitchen & Knits in Centre Square Mall to sell baked goods, fresh and frozen foods and knitware.
"I'm a nana, that's what I get called by my grandchildren," she said.
Last April, she retired from a 50-year career in finance, and explained Nana's Kitchen came about from a desire to do something fun.
"I love to cook and I love to knit, so I decided, well that's fun and I'll sell it," she said.
"Not that I didn't like finance but it's very serious. I wanted to do something in the last part of my
lifetime that was fun and
that I really enjoyed doing."
On opening day, her kiosk featured muffins, biscuits, cupcakes, tarts, cookies, breads and pies, as well as quiches, lasagnas, enchilada casserole, shepherd's pie and cabbage rolls for take-away. Everything is homemade.
"I have a variety of things, and it will change. Some things will change every week, and some things will stay the same," she said.
For now, she's open from Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
She also offers pre-ordering, catering and home delivery of her food through her website.
But just because it tastes like grandma's kitchen doesn't mean it was made in grandma's kitchen: she's licensed and makes all her goodies at the Baker Community Centre. And while she's not a professional chef, she's quick to point out she's got a lifetime of experience.
"I'm almost 70-years old, so it's 70 years of learning. My soups come from my mother, and the rest of it just comes from my love to do it," she said.
Mcleod and her family have been in Yellowknife for 30 years, but before that she travelled the world with her military husband.
"I've been to lots of different countries, experienced lots of different foods, and I bring a little bit of that to this," she said.
Her baked goods start at $1 and go up to $20, which drew attention on her opening day.
"I think the reception has been very good," she said. "I think this is a good niche to fill in Yellowknife, and a good niche to fill in this mall."
