During a Hawaiian vacation six years ago, Peggy Speir鈥檚 husband, Martyn, enjoyed the Island鈥檚 popular shave ice so much that he purchased his own shave ice machine when he returned home.
But Speir was unimpressed by the dayglow colours and artificial flavours of the Hawaiian shave ice and felt there must be an alternative. Already a chef for the music industry, she turned to her husband and said, 鈥淵ou can have the shave ice, but I鈥檓 going to make the syrups.鈥�
Using natural fruits and botanicals (often handpicked), she began making small batches of flavoured syrups for her husband, and they also became popular among friends and family, who urged them to have a market stall.
At the time, they鈥檇 both reached a point in their careers where they needed a major change, she says. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ell, let鈥檚 just do this鈥� it will at least bring money in and give us a clean slate to figure out what our next step will be.鈥欌��
Now in its sixth year, the Frost Bites stand at Squamish Farmers鈥� Market is rarely without a line-up, especially on hot days, and Speir is gaining a reputation as the snow-cone lady. 鈥淎 few years ago, I was walking across Nester鈥檚 parking lot and a little boy was with his mother鈥� and he just goes, 鈥楳om, it鈥檚 the snow cone lady.鈥欌�� Hearing that brought tears to her eyes, she explains. 鈥淭o be known as the snow-cone lady 鈥� I鈥檓 honoured, I鈥檓 blessed, I鈥檓 grateful.鈥�
Visitors to the stand can now buy both the snow cones (flavoured with Speir鈥檚 natural syrups) and bottles of the cordial to take home, each of which, says Speir, is inspired by an event or experience.
鈥淪trawberry and rhubarb is a classic pie flavour. Everyone has an association with that as a nostalgic homey, spring-summer thing, but for me it was one of my first dates with my husband.鈥�
Her elderflower syrup reminds her of romantic, poetic moments of walking among elderflower trees. And then there are others she just loves, such as passion fruit and mango, raspberry vanilla, and Meyer lemon lavender.
Peggy quit the music business three years ago to work on Frost Bites full time, and she says her husband is about to leave his job to join her. People familiar with her background though are sometimes surprised to see what she鈥檚 now doing, she says, but she couldn鈥檛 be happier.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to stop doing this. For as long as we physically can, we will.鈥�
They鈥檝e often been asked to share the secrets of their success but there is no right answer, she says. What worked for them was defining what success looked like and using that as their compass.
But she adds, 鈥淪uccess doesn鈥檛 happen overnight. You might make a great product, but you鈥檝e got to earn the customer鈥檚 trust and you have to just keep at it, constantly improving every little aspect.鈥�
Visit Frost Bites each Saturday at the Squamish Summer Farmers鈥� Market on the corner of Cleveland Ave at Victoria, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Frost Bites syrups are also available at select retail stores and at other market locations.
