- Words by Lauren Kramer Photography by Martin Knowles
It was May 2022 and Vancouverite Daniel Bae was on his way to Germany to compete in an event considered the Olympics of sausage-makers worldwide. There were over 2,000 products entered in the Deutscher Fleischer-Verband competition, and the more than 50 presiding judges were master butchers with incredibly discriminating palates.
Daniel entered 28 products from his six-year-old company Bae Food Group, which was unique in that it had intentionally had no sales to date.
鈥淲e wanted to make sure we were making really good meat products before we started selling,鈥� he explained.
When he walked off with 28 medals鈥�26 gold and two silver鈥擠aniel knew he was onto something. Though his quest to make great meats was far from over, this was the confirmation he needed that he was off to a good start.
is a food processor operating out of Edmonton, in a facility with distribution capabilities across Canada and into the US. But its founder鈥檚 immersion into the culinary world would have seemed unlikely even 10 years ago.
A classical violinist who has performed as a soloist with international orchestras, 42-year-old Daniel was born in Germany and moved to Burnaby with his family as a child. He graduated high school in Burnaby and enrolled at UBC, initially intending to study medicine. But music drew him to Mainz, Germany, where he studied violin at Johannes Gutenberg University, graduating in 2007.
鈥淎fter my studies, my family wanted me to come back to Canada, work in construction and operate hotels, our family business,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 did this for a while until I realized that my real passions are creating food and music. And, I found out, I鈥檓 good at both!鈥�
In 2016 Daniel began his culinary work, focusing on Asian and European meat products that are traditional in other countries but not sold in North America. Bae Food Group鈥檚 products include Korean-style sausages, Japanese-style cocktail sausages, frozen products such as Korean barbecue, and cevapcici, an eastern European skinless meat that鈥檚 a national street food in many of the Balkan countries. Next year the company will release its jerky products.
鈥淚鈥檓 a firm believer in the farm-to-table concept, so we work with local farmers in Alberta and across Canada. And that鈥檚 really why we are based in Alberta, where the good meat is,鈥� Daniel said.
Being German was an asset when it came to understanding meat, as the country is famous for its sausages and meat products.
鈥淚 grew up in the heart of Munich, known as the sausage capital of Germany, which means I tasted the best German meat products,鈥� Daniel said.
When Daniel returned from the competition in Germany, discussions with grocery stores began in earnest, and Bae Food Group鈥檚 brands鈥攁mong them Tasty Meat Snacks, Chef鈥檚 Grill, Premium Korean BBQ, Bacon2Go, Peppe Skinless Pepperoni and Oppa鈥檚 Korean BBQ鈥攁re now available at H-Mart and most Asian supermarkets. Talks are in progress with mainstream distribution channels and by the year鈥檚 end those brands will be readily available across BC and Alberta鈥攁nd soon, across Canada.
Daniel has big dreams for his company.
鈥淥nce we鈥檙e across Canada we want to make our products available in the US, too,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not a small butcher鈥攚e purchased machines that can produce up to 4,000 kg per hour, and I believe we鈥檒l become one of the largest ethnic meat and jerky producers in the coming years.鈥�
Far from just appealing to Asian and European buyers, Daniel believes his products will have widespread appeal to all consumers, and market studies back this up.
鈥淭hose studies have shown our product will sell better at a non-ethnic retailer because there鈥檚 such a limited availability of ethnic meat products available. Go to any grocery store and you won鈥檛 see many Asian meat products,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ith our barbecue meats you can enjoy a warm meal of thinly sliced beef bulgogi or Korean barbecue ready in five minutes at home. There鈥檚 nothing else like that.
鈥淚n North America, cocktail sausages usually contain the cheapest byproduct,鈥� he noted. 鈥淔rom this most neglected category, we鈥檙e trying to make the very best products.鈥�
Daniel counts chef Michel Jacob from Le Crocodile as a mentor and friend who has taught him the value of perfection and consistency. He was also influenced by Jim Pattison when he met the Vancouver icon recently.
鈥淛im taught me the definition of being humble, as well as how to treat my staff,鈥� he said.
When he鈥檚 not refining his meat products, Daniel is playing Mozart or Vivaldi on the violin, much of the time playing by heart.
鈥淚鈥檓 really good at improvising with music, and that carries over into my work in the kitchen,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚 try to create foods that are very artistic by taking something that鈥檚 popular in one culture and combining it with something popular in another. I love to be really creative with the food I make, and to think outside of the box.鈥�
One thing Daniel is sure of is that there is always, always room for improvement鈥攅ven when you鈥檝e just won 28 medals at an international competition.
鈥淎fter we were awarded the prizes, I went to the judges and implored them to talk with me about how we could improve,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淵ou always have to try to make things better.鈥�
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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