Homemade roots, Kootenay heart: Meet the sisters behind Mountain Oats

How a family recipe and a spontaneous decision sparked a new West Kootenay food venture

— Photos courtesy of Mountain Oats

Mountain Oats began the way many great Kootenay businesses do; with a moment of frustration, a spark of creativity and two sisters who knew they could create something amazing. During a stressful stretch marked by wildfire evacuations and family upheaval, Anna reached for a store‑bought granola to make a quick meal. One disappointing bowl later, she and her sister Jesse found themselves wondering why something as simple and comforting as granola had to taste so bland. Within days, they were testing recipes inspired by their dad’s flexible, well‑loved granola, sketching logos, and preparing for their first market in Salmo.

What started as a spontaneous “we could make this ourselves” moment has quickly grown into a small‑batch brand with a loyal following across the Kootenays. Mountain Oats stands out not only because it’s the region’s only dedicated granola business, but because Anna and Jesse bring a genuine sense of heart to everything they do. In this interview, Anna shares how the business took shape, what makes their granola special, and why returning to the Kootenays has made all the difference.

What first inspired the idea for Mountain Oats?

We were super stressed out because our mom was away working and her house and community were evacuated due to the Argenta fire. I (Anna) didn't have the energy to make supper and so I picked up a bag of granola at the store so we could have smoothie bowls for supper. We tried the granola and it was incredibly disappointing. We are so used to homemade granola and couldn't believe how dry and flavourless even the premium granola from the store was. So we decided we could do better. We came up with a name and a logo and two weeks later we did our first market in Salmo (shout out to KP Park). Our recipe is inspired by our dad's granola recipe. His is pretty flexible so we made some tweaks and came up with our two varieties.

How did you decide to go into business together?

At first I thought Jesse was joking. We were talking about how disappointed we were in the granola we had bought and she just said "we should start our own granola business." I called her bluff and said "ok" and here we are. We work really well together because we're sisters. We have worked our whole lives on being a good team (thanks mom and dad) so we have our own shorthand that makes it easy for us to make decisions and move things along. 

What did the early days of getting the business off the ground look like?

We signed up for our first market almost right away so it was a bit of a scramble to recipe test, source packaging and come up with a name. Jesse recipe tested dozens of combinations in her toaster oven while I slapped together a logo and packaging design. We took a poll in our family chat on what the name should be and by some miracle we rolled up to our first market with packaged granola and a hand painted sign.

What challenges have you faced operating in the Kootenays?

Distribution is one of the biggest challenges for small food producers in the Kootenays. Getting your product to the store or the customer is complicated and costly. We are still working on figuring it out but we're hopeful that initiatives like "Grow and Connect" will help us as we grow.

How do you source your ingredients?

We work with a few different suppliers to get our ingredients. Sourcing gluten free oats was really important to us as we have family with celiac disease. Our oats and some other ingredients come from the prairies via a company called "Snowcap" which is out of Armstrong. At our small scale we also get some ingredients from Costco. We have prioritized using Canadian ingredients whenever we can which isn't too hard when you're working with oats and maple syrup.

What makes Mountain Oats unique compared to other local food businesses?

There isn't another granola business in the Kootenays. Granola in the Kootenays is a total cliche but when we looked around there isn't anyone else making granola. Nelson is a hub of small local food brands so we have a lot to learn from other businesses in the area. Businesses like Viva Cacao and GeeWowza are such inspirations to us. 

How has community response been since you started?

It's been amazing. After our first big market we looked at each other and said "I think we're on to something here!" We have some really dedicated subscribers who get buckets delivered each month. One of the things we love is when customers find us at markets and find out that they can have our granola despite many dietary restrictions. Everyone needs a little treat and we love being that treat, especially for folks whose dietary restrictions make treats few and far between. 

What are your hopes for the future of the business?

We have just received our custom printed packaging which means we're hoping to stock our granola in more local grocery stores. 

Is there anything else you'd like readers to know?

Truly, Kootenay people are the best. We are Kootenay kids who spent a long time away in other communities and we are so happy to be back home. We have felt so supported by folks at markets and love running into people who have tried our granola and loved it. If folks are interested in trying our granola they can check out our website at www.mountainoats.ca.