In today's fast-paced world, snacking has become an essential part of our daily routine. However, not all snacks are created equal, and many options available are unhealthy. Fortunately, there are companies dedicated to creating and promoting healthy snacks and treats that are not only delicious but also nutritious. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Elisabeth Burrow, Artisan Nut roaster and Nut Farmer.
Elisabeth is the creator of a patented process of making delicious healthy nuts using dark rich maple syrup as a preservative not a sweetener.
Elizabeth Burrow knows her nuts - but that’s not always how it was. A lifelong city girl known for her vibrant, outgoing personality, Burrow wasn’t sure what would happen when she and her partner moved to a sprawling farm in Fergus, Canada. But soon after settling into country life in 2010, Burrow rediscovered her adventurous roots with her hands in the soil. What began with fruit trees and produce soon blossomed into tending 150 nut trees across the beautiful landscape. With an experimental, creative force breathing into all she touched, Burrow became the mastermind and founder of Jewels Under the Kilt – becoming the only woman to own and roast an independent commercial nut brand.
Burrow began coating nuts with her family’s home harvested Canadian maple syrup before she even grew her own. She’d buy nuts from the store and elevate them with a delicately sweet flavor that provided added texture and crunch. After harvesting her own delicious varieties, she patented this process so that each exquisite nut would be unadulterated by artificial sweeteners or additives. Sourcing many ingredients locally, she crafted a crisp coating for the many folks who love a delicious, salty and sweet nut. Over time, she developed new recipes, including Ceylon Cinnamon and Pear-Ginger walnuts, spicy chocolate hazelnuts and pecans that taste like pumpkin pie and even moonshine.
Burrow continues to drive Jewels Under the Kilt forward year after year with rapid expansion across Canada and the U.S.
Jewels Under the Kilt’s nut varieties are available at Fresh Market, department stores and specialty shops regionally in US, and across Canada at grocery stores, hotels and Hickory Farms. Customers can also enjoy Jewels online at JewelsUndertheKilt.com at Faire and Amazon.
To learn about Jewels Under the Kilt, visit them online and @jewelsunderthekilt on Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube.
Thank you so much for joining us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
I originally was a support services manager for long term care and Hospitals. My partner was transferred to western Ontario, and we found a 95-acre farm, which was just what I needed after living in the city working at some very hard Long term care facilities. We made a deal that I wouldn’t seek employment and be home for our daughter who has disabilities. I agreed but said Ill try it for two years. Well with in that 2 yrs, I created Jewels under the kilt and now he works for me.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career?
The most interesting story of my career was a home I worked in that had 107 old ladies in a decrepit building that was rat infested and more and move them without losing one person or having anyone miss a meal to a brand-new building.
Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
That I am stronger than I think and that knowledge is my special super power.
You are a successful leader. Which three-character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success?
Honesty and sincerity: An example of this would be a potential problem with a new product we rolled out. People received a product that wasn’t up to my standards, and I was called out for it. I went to the staff, I didn’t fault them at all , I retrained them and took full responsibility for the problem. I went on social media and made a heartfelt apology and offered to fix the issue. Now customers and staff respect me.
Knowledge: I think this is a crucial one, that sometimes gets lost in our journey from doing it myself to hiring employees. I Continue to learn because none of us are a ten, there is still more to learn. Knowledge of every aspect of my Business shows my staff I am confident that I know how to do each job. That in a pinch I am there to help. This is key in what I do, especially around Christmas when we are massively busy. We need a roaster I am in, bagging, labeling. My staff respect that quality in me.
Strength is important for me. the ability to remain calm during busy times or when the staff are like deer in headlights because there is so much to do. One must be the pillar of strength, to calm the employees and keep things moving. An example is right now we are getting large orders from everywhere for trays. We hand fill all trays to ensure freshness and free of shells. We do 30 trays in 4 hours. We increase people to increase output. One person needs to be strong and lead the way to the finish line January 2nd
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that might help people?
I have a few that I am working on, but I just finished creating Tilt your kilt using the byproduct of our roast. More than a rub. It is nut magic.
They will be able to get shaking in the kitchen and create nut magic. Something special happens when you share nuts.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview. What inspired you to focus on promoting healthy snacks and treats?
I wanted to create something that was healthy for my own personal use. I looked at what was available on the market and well it truly fell short. There is nothing wrong with the old school of nuts, even though I want those every once in a while, but I was looking for something that had flavor and could be used for cooking baking topping crusting and more. I did that with Jewels Under the Kilt.
How do you ensure that your products remain both healthy and delicious?
I have a patented process that uses maple syrup as a preservative not sweetener. This process seals in the oils of the nut while creating a crunch on the outside. Then I realized I could add fresh ingredients grown by me or other local growers. That’s the real difference… real ingredients.
What are some things you have done to educate consumers about the nutritional benefits of your products?
Well, I started with Show casing our ingredients. No more than 5 and all are legible.
Next, I researched how others roasted nuts or salted nuts. I experimented with Seaweed for salt content Hence, Spicy Caesar Walnut. Eventually, I found the perfect salt for our salted nuts, it doesn’t burn your tongue and ruin the flavor from the nut. The choice we made is light and delicate enhancing the natural flavor of the nut.
As I am a grower of nuts too, I learned the nutritional values of the nuts we grow. Did you know Black Walnuts are the number one nut for your body. It has high percentages of selenium, magnesium and iron. It has high percentages of Omega 3 + 6 and it is low in fat because it has only good ones. Plus, the bonus is it is high in protein at 32 %.
Have you experienced any challenges in changing consumer perceptions about healthy snacks? How did you approach that?
I did. People think all nuts are equal, but they just aren’t. People need nuts like Brazil Nuts because of the selenium, magnesium and iron but they have bad fats too. That’s why they say just eat one or two.
I showed them facts on my tables at shows, markets and more.
Here is our main question. What are your ”5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started”?
1. I wished I knew nuts give off BTU units even when in the raw form. Nuts become rancid fast because of that. My first show I had in-the-shell nuts in plastic bags and boy did they turn. Packaging is key. So is keeping raw nuts in the freezer.
2. I wish I knew that asking for help while building a business is crucial to your ultimate success. My early days of starting Jewels under the kilt. I didn’t want any help, so I struggled getting it on the shelf. It was until a couple of years in that I realized I needed mentorship to help me grow. Remember Learning is key, so you need teachers or mentors.
3. I wish I knew that rising for the big CPG spaces isn’t always the best route to grow a business. There are other places, like vending machines, airlines and more.
4. I wish I knew more about all the work involved in starting a business. When I started, I worked in a commercial kitchen. once a month, twice a month and eventually every day. Lugging my equipment, cleaning before and after use. Almost, 10 hours roasting to come home and bag all the nuts for orders. It was exhausting.
5. I wish I knew that you need to schedule personal time. If you don’t you will just burn yourself out or cause some major disaster.
In a constantly evolving industry, how do you stay ahead of trends to keep your offerings innovative and appealing?
Well I read a lot of trade magazines but really I listen and look around and see what’s happening Pickle is big , I’ve done a wasabi Pickle pecan before the trend. Truth be told I like to create my own version of what I think is coming, not necessarily go with the trend. That way I stand out.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
You never know what your idea can trigger. :-) if I had that power I would make inclusivity for children with disabilities a thing. They are citizens and can do amazing things and should be included in society throughout their life.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
Tik Tok is my jam, but I am on many social platforms. I like Tik Tok because I can be me, from rescuing nut trees on other properties with my golf cart to being at a trade show. I can be found there the most. You can also visit the website for more information, new products and our other social media channels. https://www.jewelsunderthekilt.com/ Tik Tok @nutlady
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
