...with Bianca Parsons

BY LINDA GARSON AND QUINN CURTIS

PHOTO BY DONG KIM

Bianca Parsons always had a special connection with food and community, and although her life journey took her in many directions, she always knew she would find a way to create meaning and connection through her work with food one day.

“My parents’ food was always a huge part of our lives. As a kid in high school, our home was called ‘chez Norma’s’ because my mom is named Norma and every Sunday, anyone was welcome to join the dinner table,” says Parsons. Chez Norma’s is even where Parsons met her future husband – and it was love at first sight. “Growing up Puerto Rican and Greek, I didn't know a lot of redheads and literally thought that he was the bestlooking thing I'd ever seen in my entire life,” she laughs. “We used to hang out at chez Norma’s on Sundays and talk over the dinner table. So the dinner table has always been a really important part of my family.”

In her younger years, Parsons’ interests led her to pursue a degree in broadcasting and a love for musical theatre at Grant MacEwan College, inspired by local figures like her childhood neighbour, Nomi Whelan – the wife of Canadian television personality and journalist Ed Whelan. “They had always told me about broadcasting and musical theatre. She was the musical theatre queen and he was the broadcaster, so maybe that’s how I got inspired,” says Parsons. “But food was always such a part of my life.”

That’s why, after Parsons gave birth to her son, she started to reevaluate her career and rediscover what truly inspired her. “My husband and I decided, as I was on maternity leave, to think about what I wanted to do next. Unfortunately, the world of broadcasting has changed. We don’t see as many jobs. I’d been laid off a few years earlier and tried some other things in media, but it wasn’t where my heart was,” she says.

That’s when Parsons joined the Alberta Food Processors Association, combining her love of food with her commitment to supporting local businesses. “I started working with the Alberta Food Processors (AFPA) because with the Made In Alberta program I could connect with people, and telling stories about what’s local was always my favourite part of broadcasting. Being able to not just tell people about local companies but actually help them is amazing,” says Parsons.

This year marks her third year with AFPA, and she says exciting ventures are on the horizon. “We’re launching a new app this month so people can, for example, take a photo of their coffee with the app, and it will show them local coffee companies in their area. It’ll say, ‘I think this looks like a cup of coffee – have you tried these companies?’ Or maybe it’s a glass of wine, and it’ll ask, ‘Is this alcoholic or not?’ Then it lists some options. What we’re hearing from consumers is that they’re having a hard time replacing their favourites, and we want to show them that those local options exist. Let’s help you find them,” she says. The app is called Made In Alberta and is available to download on Android and iPhone.

So, what bottle will Parsons be opening on her next special occasion? It’s a very special bottle of whisky from someone very special to her, her husband, Bryce, Founder and CEO of True Wild Distilling. But not just any whisky – a “birth cask” made specifically for the couple while Parsons was in labour with their son.

“The goal is that when he’s of drinking age, we’ll open a bottle and share his first drink together from the whisky we made for him. And hopefully, one day, if he decides to get married, we’ll serve it at his wedding. It’s his birth cask, made from a recipe that meant something to both me and my husband. The cask was even soaked in tea at one point because that’s something we both love. It’s really a reflection of us. We’ve never tried any of it yet — it stays at my desk as a reminder of the day he was born. He’s our greatest blessing.”