By Susan Mann
Published September 1, 2015
Despite securing venture capital in March for a quinoa processing facility from an investor on the popular television show Dragons’ Den, Jamie Draves has been unable to make a palatable pitch for government funding.
Draves, president and CEO of health food development company Katan Kitchens, wants to build a quinoa processing plant in northern Ontario. He says his applications to both the Rural Economic Development program and the Agricultural Adaptation Council were turned down with no reasons given.
There is a high demand globally and in Canada for quinoa, a gluten-free, highly nutritious cereal grain used in salads, soups, as a breakfast food or eaten as a side dish. Most Canadian-consumed quinoa comes from South America.
In March, Draves appeared on the CBC television show Dragons’ Den, where aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to pitch their business concepts or products to a panel of influential Canadian business people. He secured a $200,000 investment from celebrity chef and restaurateur Vikram Vij in exchange for 20 per cent of his company.
There will be an announcement later this fall from the Dragons’ Den show about “what that partnership means,” Draves says.
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