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No Half-baked Ideas at the Red Apron |
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Written by Stephanie Lawrence
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 Which came first – the food or the philosophy? Hard to tell at the Red Apron, as they have been so thoroughly mixed, stirred and blended together that it is impossible to separate the two.
Jo-Ann Laverty and Jennifer Heagle prepare and deliver meals that are not only lovingly and creatively prepared, the heritage of the ingredients are carefully considered. A vegetable has a better chance of being part of a Red Apron meal if it is local, or even regional, and certainly organic. Ditto for any ingredient that was fairly traded. Also, it is important to them that the beef in the beef and barley stew was once a happy cow, having lived a life that was certifiably natural.
How the two epicurean entrepreneurs came together is a less planned, rather more coincidental story. It was 2004 and they both had sons of the same age at the same school. Jo-Ann had just sold the Emerald Bakery, a catering and pastry shop on Wellington Street and was looking to start something new. Jennifer, a newly trained Cordon Bleu chef had opened Gambrel in Val des Monts to rave reviews. And although it was in an idyllic setting, its location did not offer much past a seasonal clientele, so she too was looking for her next business adventure. The timing and opportunity seemed right, so the two sat down and decided on a concept that considered both economics and a dedication to fresh, wholesome, seasonal food in equal measure.
 Now housed in an airy industrial space on Gladstone Avenue, the Red Apron originally opened in a smaller location on Leonard Avenue in old Ottawa South in 2006. The new venue has allowed them to expand the retail side of the business, but the food delivery service is still their mainstay. Billed as “sophisticated comfort food”, Jennifer and Jo-Ann deliver dinner to the doorsteps of about 150 people three times per week. Jo-Ann explains they chose the three mid-week days of Tuesday to Thursday to offer their dinner club as these are the most time-crunched ones for families. They are both also quick to point out that most of their customers are not people who do not like to cook, but rather people who do. What they offer is fresh, healthy meals that save people time while at the same time encouraging them to come “back to the table.”
The menu changes daily and although dishes repeat, because none of the recipes are written down, they are never cooked exactly the same way twice. There are always several choices to purchase from the freezer in the store, but there is only one choice each night for the delivered menu. Both women see this as a strength as opposed to a limitation. “The only choice the customer has is to participate or not. People are faced with so many decisions each day that they opt into what we offer,” says Jo-Ann.
Their retail pantry includes products from local producers, including bread from ‘Art-is-in’ bakery. Dinners come in three sizes – generous servings for 2, 3 or 4 adults with prices of $102, $144, and $180 per week respectively.
The Red Apron
571 Gladstone Ave.
613.321.0417
www.redapron.ca
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