Takin BLK Showcases Creative Black Entrepreneurs In Halifax
HALIFAX-This past Saturday, Black entrepreneurs from across the city gathered downtown for the Takin BLK Spring Market.
The event, held at the Halifax Brewery Farmer’s Market, showcased several new businesses and shone an extra-bright spotlight on youth and women entrepreneurs.
Many of the businesses are relatively new, having started during the pandemic or within the last year.
The market was their chance to connect with new customers and network with fellow small business owners in the Black community.
Huddle was at the market on April 9. Below we highlight a few of the businesses and entrepreneurs we spoke to.
Limestone Group
“It’s all about flavour,” Giovanni Johnson declared proudly, as he described the method to make his tropical tea and drinks.
Johnson and his friends founded Limestone Group to give the people of Halifax an authentic taste of the Bahamas. But the business also served to stave off homesickness.
Like many other young Black people in Halifax, the founders of Limestone moved thousands of miles from home to attend University. The company’s creations were a way to remind them of their sunny, seaside home.
“We get homesick. When I couldn’t go home, I would do some of these things to remind me of back home and put my scientific degree to use,” said Johnson, a Mount Saint Vincent grad.
“What the Bahamas means is sunshine and sea. You get good food all the time, beaches, crystal-clear waters. And the people are nice and friendly.”
Limestone Group was founded in 2019 and focused on pop-up events. But events came to a screeching halt in March 2020, thanks to Covid-19. So, the group pivoted and began focusing more on beverages.
The names alone make you want to try the drinks on a hot day, with monikers like “Orange Dream,” “Mellow Mango,” “Lime Mint,” and of course, a Pina-Colada flavour.
Even though Johnson and his colleagues sometimes feel homesick for the Bahamas, they decided to stay and start their business careers in Halifax, noting the city’s diversity.
“The group of people from the Caribbean was growing, coming to Halifax and going to university,” said Johnson. “And those people feel homesick too. We wanted to share our culture through beverages.”
Topsie Crunchies Snacks
When Odutope Macauley-Okoro (AKA Topsie) immigrated to Canada from Nigeria, she brought her authentic Nigerian recipes with her. Some had been handed down through the generations in her family.
When the pandemic struck in 2020, Topsie and her family found themselves doing what many did during the boring times in lock-down: snacking.
That’s when she decided to stir up a Nigerian-inspired snack that would have real food ingredients and be healthier than a typical, convenience store aisle snack.
“Myself and my children, we started playing with the recipes,” Topsie recalled. “I also had inspiration to play with other fruits like coconut and vanilla.”
Given that the project was a family affair, it was only fitting that Topsie included a nutmeg-flavoured snack inspired by her grandma’s recipe.
Topsie Crunchies Snacks ships snacks across Canada. The products are great for snacking out of the bag but can also serve as toppings for other desserts, like yogurt and ice cream.
During the Saturday market, the mother and entrepreneur praised Halifax as a place to set up a business.
“It’s an amazing place; it is growing. It is very inclusive, with a lot of diversity,” she stated. “Also, the government has been so encouraging through trade fairs and collaborations and the funding. It’s been encouraging for entrepreneurs here in Halifax.”
Topsie also praised the market for bringing out a diverse group of entrepreneurs.
“Many people are coming from all different parts of the country, from different cultural backgrounds; wanting to have a taste, wanting to have a feel.
“It’s a very good avenue to connect with other people.”
Kenny Bakes
One of the most eye-catching booths at the Takin BLK market belonged to Kenny Bakes. Who doesn’t get distracted at the sight of decorated cupcakes, cookies, or brownies sitting in colourful packaging?
Kenny Bakes is operated by Kendra Clayton, one of the many young female entrepreneurs who were featured at the market. Clayton’s meticulously frosted cupcakes suggest Kenny Bakes is very much a passion project for the young NSCC grad.
“I just love making cupcakes, it’s one of my favourite things to do. It’s one of my hobbies,” said Clayton.
Like many who choose food as a business, Clayton’s passion was handed down through the generations. Her grandmother, Winifred Clayton, once owned a bakery on historic Gottingen Street, years before Clayton was even born.
In what is becoming a common story for young entrepreneurs, Clayton also started her home-based baking business in the early days of the pandemic.
For Clayton and other small business owners, the Takin BLK Spring Market was an ideal venue to get their brands more recognition outside of social media and online websites.
“It’s a great thing so businesses can get off the ground and people can show what they do,” she said.
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].