Since 2013, Elisabeth Burrow has been growing her artisanal nut business at a steady pace, but this year orders for her Canadian-grown specialty flavoured nuts literally “went nuts”.
Why it matters: Nut growers and processors have seen a surge in consumer buying.
“This has to be more than a result of the ‘elbows up’ trend that finally has everyone looking at food packages to make sure they are buying Canadian,” said Burrow, founder, president and chief roaster of Jewels Under the Kilt.
“While this is a good thing, especially for farmers and food manufacturers, I think people are finally looking across our great country and realizing that we produce some amazing foods and flavours, right here in Canada.”
Burrow began her business in a small way, selling her nuts at local farmers’ markets. She has since expanded her business across the province and the country. She’s been successful by partnering with retailers, wholesalers and independent food stores, and through online sales. The first few months of the year are typically a slower season for the business, this year has been different, thanks to the rise in demand for Canadian foods.
Homegrown Success
The business name – Jewels Under the Kilt – pays tribute to its location in Fergus, Ont., a region with a strong Scottish heritage. The 95-acre farm is home to more than 300 nut trees, including Indigenous species such as black walnut, butternut and hickory, along with species like heart nuts, pecans and pinenuts.
Using her own recipes and patented process that preserves 100 per cent of the nuts’ natural oils, Burrow combines natural ingredients and locally sourced flavours to develop a multitude of products. Some of the most popular nuts are plain, salted, maple pecan, apple pie pecan, salted caramel pecan and chocolate hazelnut.
She also produces nut butters and Tilt Your Kilts – a distinctive, upcycled byproduct of her roasting process. This innovative shaker blend features granulated maple crystals, bold flavours, and bits of nuts, making it perfect for use as a rub, topping, baking crust, and more.
Her salted walnuts recently earned her the prestigious Better Homes & Gardens Food Awards for 2025.
“I’ve grown my business by word of mouth, customer service and unique, flavourful products,” said Burrow. “I love asking people to ‘try my nuts’ at tradeshows, and I think people appreciate my humour, authenticity and local origins of my products.”
Burrow’s marketing strategy has been simple so far, relying on word of mouth, social media, the company’s website and trade shows. Recent geopolitical events and tariffs have shifted consumer focus toward sourcing Canadian foods, leading to a significant increase in both sales and overall company visibility for Jewels Under the Kilt.
Not only have online sales gone through the roof, but Burrow has been fielding calls from Canadian retail stores looking to add her product line, inquiries from the U.S., and she’s even sending new orders to France.
“It appears as if the world is paying more attention to Canada these days,” said Burrow, noting that one of the positive outcomes of current global political events appears to be a new interest in other countries sourcing Canadian food.
“Why can’t we use this opportunity to celebrate our cultures through food – across our country and the world?”
Hazelnut Momentum
Burrow also predicts that the growing interest in sourcing Canadian products will help emerging commodities such as hazelnuts establish a foothold in the market. In fact, according to Amanda Pilot, project manager with the Ontario Hazelnut Association (OHA), the awareness of Ontario hazelnuts is increasing, and demand is outpacing the supply.
“Hazelnuts have always fit into the ‘buy local’ idea, and with the current issues we are seeing more and more people following this trend as well,” said Pilot, noting that many provincial growers, like Burrow, process their own hazelnuts and market their products at farmers’ markets, as well as restaurants, bakeries, and confectionaries.
Pilot said that most of the hazelnuts grown in Ontario are sold within the province, but she’s aware of some growers who are shipping outside of the province. Not all hazelnut growers are members of the OHA, making it difficult to provide accurate production information.
That’s one of the reasons the association is currently undertaking a project to identify Ontario hazelnut growers to get a better understanding of the size and scope of the industry.
“I really believe this could be the year the Ontario hazelnut industry takes off,” said Burrow. “Growers need to leverage this new market opportunity and find the customers who are looking for their products.”
Rooted in Local
While many farmers and agri-food companies are feeling the pinch of the new U.S. tariffs or are anxiously awaiting to see how they will affect their businesses, Burrow is confident that her locally sourced business model will continue to serve her.
“I always look locally first,” she said, explaining that many of the ingredients she uses to flavour her nut products are either grown in Ontario, or are sourced from suppliers who source fair trade products and who she has developed a close personal relationship with.
“I’m proud to list each of my ingredients on my product labels, and I can even tell you exactly where each of them came from.”
Although the surge in sales has been a silver lining for Burrow amid trade and tariff disruptions, her business hasn’t been immune to their effects. Her transportation and shipping costs have increased, and she’s had to scale up production. She’s already looking ahead at her nut supply for the year, and while Burrow isn’t worried about her current inventory, she’s still waiting to see how the 2025 crop will turn out given the damage to her nut trees from the recent winter winds and ice storms.
“The greatest reward so far is the growth in cheerleaders for Canadian-grown products, and especially for the nut industry,” said Burrow. “Everyone can win with this kind of support.”
