It's all good at Brentwood Cottage: in Meota, a town of 500 on Highway 26 north of North Battleford, Joan Chase is busy packaging a range of fine foods native to Saskatchewan. Perhaps her success with Brentwood Cottage is a testament to the town's Cree name. "Mewasin" and "Ota" mean "Good Here.".

"I'm on a perpetual quest for the finest products Saskatchewan has to offer," says Chase. For instance, our honey products come from a third generation beekeeping family, the Hannigan family, from Shellbrook. They provide us with an exquisitely creamed honey to which we add mint, cinnamon and ginger accents."

"Bigger is not necessarily better in the food industry," Chase says. "For me, it is the food, but also the people. For example, Gladys McCarthy creates handmade chocolates using native fruits and berries right at the farm."

Chase also has a soft spot for the saskatoon and blueberry jellies and syrups from Berryview Farms east of Lloydminster where jellies and syrups are prepared in small batches using the Pattison family recipes.

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The same holds true of Lynn Riese's wild rice products. "Her father was a conservation officer, a naturalist, and a little of his appreciation for nature's bounty comes across in her wild rice buttermilk pancake and casserole mixes," Chase explains.

"Every now and again, we welcome guests at the Cottage who simply can't hold back. It happened this summer. Japanese guests are renowned for the delicate tastes their palate can discern. It was the honey in this case. They tried it and fell in love--or should I say lust. These guests bought all the honey we had on the shelf. Our products made a difference for them that day."