PREECEVILLE - Vesela’s International Kitchen is a small local business based in Preeceville that helps many people make healthier choices.
Joey and Lucie Vesela, a husband-and-wife duo, started their kitchen as a restaurant in Preeceville in 2014. They closed the restaurant in 2016, and the building remained empty for two years until they rented it to Geo’s Kitchen in 2018. During that time, the couple purchased a home in Melville. When their renter returned the building to them, Joey and Lucie decided to move back to Preeceville, motivated by their love for the community.
In 2020, Joey and Lucie launched a new business focusing on making, promoting, and selling sauerkraut out of a renovated commercial kitchen in Preeceville, in their original building. “I’ve always grown up in a household where sauerkraut was made,” said Lucie. “With the knowledge I gained from my mother and grandmother, I decided to try making some on my own. I wanted an alternative to eating healthier by adding probiotics to my diet. Sauerkraut is rich in probiotics and offers significant health benefits. The beneficial bacteria present in sauerkraut ferment the cabbage, which also supports gut health," she explained.
“I started experimenting with different flavours for our own consumption, and it evolved into sharing with family and friends. Now, it has grown into a rewarding and busy business for us,” she added. “We have created a product that is enjoyable for everyone, and the flavour and crunch have proven to be very popular.”
The Veselas use locally grown varieties of cabbage and vegetables, as they firmly believe in supporting local farmers. Over the past five years, they have worked hard to develop their product, which can now be found in 60 different stores, including local markets. The most popular cabbage used is an end-of-summer variety. It is shredded in the kitchen, left to ferment, and then packaged for sale. The Veselas have also found a market for the juice that is typically left over, discovering that it can sometimes be even more favourable.
Both Joey and Lucie are passionate about creating healthy fermented foods that offer amazing health benefits. Their business specializes in a variety of probiotic products made mostly with locally sourced ingredients. They offer as many as 19 different sauerkraut flavours, probiotic kraut shots, and a line of probiotic hot sauce and sea salt seasoning. The most popular flavours have been dill pickle and garlic dill.
In their ongoing search for health solutions, Lucie and Joey found that fermentation played an increasingly significant role in their daily nutritional choices. They began sharing their findings and passion with friends and family, which led to the organic growth of their business.
The couple was recently featured in a Saskatchewan local documentary series, 'Flat Out Foods,' on April 2. Their biggest challenge has been time management. The timing and packing processes of making sauerkraut, as well as the delivery logistics, require delicate coordination. They use glass jars for their products, as they believe plastics are unhealthy for consumers. "We won’t sacrifice the quality of our product," they affirmed. Last year, they used 50,000 pounds of cabbage, and this year they project a 20 per cent increase. They have also hired two part-time employees to assist in the kitchen.
The Vesela’s use locally grown varieties of cabbages and vegetables. The firmly believe in supporting local. For the past five years they have been working hard, developing their product and their sauerkraut can now be found in 60 different stores including local markets.
The Missing Piece Therapy Centre in Preeceville will be featuring Joey and Lucie on May 4, where they will guide attendees in learning about fermentation and its amazing benefits for gut health. They will demonstrate how to make sauerkraut from scratch, discuss other forms of fermentation like kombucha, milk kefir, and yogurt — easy to make at home with numerous nutritional benefits. There will also be samples of their ferments and healthy snacks, along with recipes to take home that feature fermented foods.
