She likes tasty food, enjoys cooking and wanted to minimize her intake of preservatives and chemicals.

That鈥檚 how Nancy Farey, owner of The Mustard Lady, got her start making mustards in her Courtenay kitchen in 2011 as a hobby.

First she shared her creations with family and friends, who gave her mustards rave reviews. Like many entrepreneurs, she was encouraged by these fans to make her mustards available on the retail market.

And so she did. The owner of Interiors By Nancy used her spare time to experiment and tweak her recipes in preparation for a test market in the Comox Valley. She got her FoodSafe certification and complied with VIHA specifications so she could safely make and package mustards in a variety of flavours.

Originally presenting her mustards under the name, Mustards By Nancy, Farey found that the Little Red Church Market and various craft fairs were great venues to get her products out there and to get on-the-spot feedback as people tasted her flavours from the display samples.

The positive feedback and amount of repeat customers propelled Farey into full production in time for this year鈥檚 gift-giving season. This month, Farey officially introduced the business to market under the name, The Mustard Lady.

The company鈥檚 mustards are available in 190 ml jars in the following flavours: horseradish, ancient grains, many fruited, honey, hot pepper, lemon, mango and herb. She also offers a 'sampler pack' so customers can mix-and-match for their gift giving. These jars are 110 ml.

Already encouraged by customers to expand her product line, The Mustard Lady creates custom gift baskets that can include mustards of choice. Delivery and shipping are available, with a percentage of any November and December sales being donated to the Comox Valley Food Bank.

For true mustard lovers, The Mustard Lady also offers a Mustard Club, which allows customers to earn a free jar after purchasing six.

Farey has been a resident of the Comox Valley since 1989. She has operated her painting/interior design business since 1996. She is an active member of the Comox Valley Small Business Association, and served on the board of directors for several years. She is also a member of Beta Sigma Phi, Theta Eta chapter in Campbell River where she serves as  secretary.

www.TheMustardLady.ca