Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome to see Food Matters and thanks
for joining us again. Today we're going right back to
the shoreline, but not for fish. We're talking about dulce,
a product that's been part of coastal life for generations,
yet somehow sits in the fringes of modern food culture.
My guest today is Lorne Hammond, known by many as
the Dulceman. He's built a life and business around something
most people either overlook or misunderstand. So today we're going
to cut through the noise. Is dulce a forgotten tradition
of food ready for a comeback? Or will Lorn tell
Us has never left the front stage? Let's find out. Hi, Laura,
welcome to Seafood Matters.
Speaker 2: Great to have you, Jim, thanks for having me. I'm
excited to be here.
Speaker 1: Great, thank you for looking forward to the chat. Lauren. Well, no,
you as the Dulsman, as we said, But what does
that actually mean day to day?
Speaker 2: You know, that's a really good question, and that's something
that you know, I've been asked about before, and I
would say it's really determined by a lot of things.
It's determined by the tide schedule, it's determined by the weather,
with the weather, the time of year, so that there's
really a lot of variables that come into play when
it comes to you know, what I'll be harvesting. And
I would also say to add to that that between
May and October are the primary months that I would
be going out in Dulcing, and that means a lot
of early mornings, a lot of late nights, which can
be trying on a young family. We have a one
year old and a three year old. But I certainly
enjoy it. It's awesome being out in the shoreline.
Speaker 1: Fantastic. It's yeah, it must be a real hell. It
must be so healthy life as well. He's all in
the main in the main um.
Speaker 2: Body absolutely absolutely. I'd say it keeps being shape. I'm
almost forty years old, it keeps being in shape. But
it's also yeah, it's trying on the body. At the
same time, there's never any time where I'm not in
pain from you know, slipping on the rocks or something
like that. But I'd say it's worth it. There's something
to be said about, you know, working in nature and harvesting,
and I really enjoy that blue collar type of work.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, just be a little bit careful when you're
staying a bit here in your forties, you're talking to somebody,
you're talking to somebody you'll probably paint out your grandfather's
older than a younger than me.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no doubt, no doubt. Yeah, yeah, definitely. So I
would say, yeah, yeah, this is different than what I'm
used to for sure. You know, we moved here, you know,
five years ago, and prior to this, I worked in
funeral care, you know, and a lot of those kinds
of jobs where you're in an office and you know,
I'm not I'm not using my body as much. So
this is a different line of work, but it's definitely rewarding.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, I was going to actually come to that
and just say, to take us back, how did you
go from coastal life, yeah, to become synonymous with Dolph
right right?
Speaker 2: You know, I would say, like I said, when we
moved here, there's so many jobs are seasonal here, and
I looked at what the options were, and obviously lobster
fishing is the big thing here. But I would say
over the course of the last five years of living here,
there's definitely been a decline as far as the catch goes,
and I came to the conclusion that, you know, I'm
going to need to have a side gig, or multiple
side gigs if we're really going to make a go
of it down here. And it was important for me
to to figure something out to do on the side.
And so, like I said, I do work at the
funeral home, and it's a small island, you know, but
that's something I do on the side, so I'm a
local undertaker. And then in addition to that, you know,
I work on the boat as well, fishing lobster and
scallops and things like that. But then when the summer
comes around, my focus is supplying retail stores with supplying
chefs with different kinds of niche ingredients. So yeah, I
really had to kind of pivot when I moved down
here and figure out what makes the most sense and
and how I can make a living.
Speaker 1: Or when you see that, is it only dolls or
seaweed in general?
Speaker 2: That's a great question. And you know, I think when
you talk about dolls, dolls is I think it's synonymous
with Graham and Ann, you know, along with lobster fishing.
But people don't realize there are so many things on
the shoreline that you can harvest when you learn to
identify what's there. And you know, at low tide, when
the beach is the most exposed and you're you're on
borrowed time, you know, you have you know, three or
four hours to start harvesting. There's so many things that
you can make money from. And you know, and I'll
talk of a few of those, norri and sea lettuce,
sea truffle, which grows almost exclusively around Graham and an
aside from a few other spots in the world, of course, DoLS,
irish moss, rock weed, laria, different kinds of help. You
can tell them a little bit of a seaweed nerd.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's really interesting when you talk about all them.
I know exactly where you're coming from. I don't think
I'm familiar with all you mentioned there, but you know,
it's funny. One of the ones you talk about, sea lettuce. Hmmm,
that's that's really interesting because see, when we were kids,
do you know what we used to call that?
Speaker 2: Tell me the sailor soap? Is that right?
Speaker 1: If we were needing, if we were going to get
around from our mother when we went home, because we
were all dirty and black or hands whatever, we were
mucking about that we would get but now called sea
lettuce were interesting. I'm into the seawater with this, Is
that right? And our hams would be as clean as shizzles.
Speaker 2: Well, that's that's interesting. I've never heard of that before.
It's uh. And that just goes to show you there's
so much versatility with seaweed. And not only is there
the nutritional properties and the benefits that you get, but
you know, you can use you can use seaweed in
so many different ways, just depending on what we're talking about.
And you know, I think about something like Irish moss,
for instance, and I think the scientific name for that
is Crispus grondis, and a lot of people get that
mixed up with with sea moss, which is very popular
along African coastlines in the Caribbean, and it's a source
of fiber and so many other nutrients I think there
is in sea moss or excuse me, Irish moss. There's
ninety two minerals that the body needs. And so not
only can you consume it, which is usually consumed through
a shake like a breakfast shake or something like that.
I know Jamaicans they have a special drink that they make,
but you also use it in cosmetics, in ice cream,
and it's it's interesting. There's so many, so many ways
to use it, so many different applications, and but you
know a lot of people around here, they just they
aren't really familiar with it. The harvesters might pick it,
but they don't know what the endgame is. You know,
where's it going to be used. And there's a a
gelling agent in Irish moss that allows things to kind
of stick together, and and that's why it's used, like
I said, for cosmetics and things like that. So so
much versatility in seaweed.
Speaker 1: It's interesting, Yeah, definitely, mm hmm. I can remember, well,
my good buck is my grandmother on father said, I
mean that was fishing and good bad generations, and she
would if she was just say, picked muscles or something
like that, winkles or that there would be seeweed in
the pond cooking them right right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's overwhelming sometimes when you get down to
the shoreline and in your mind you think I'm gonna
go harvest dulls today or or you know, Irish moss,
and then you see a bunch of periwinkles. You mentioned wrinkling.
You see a bunch of periwinkles, which are kind of
like a water snail for somebody who's not familiar with that,
you know, or you know Norway or sea lettuce. And
sometimes you kind of will pivot mid mid tide and
pick something else because there's abundance of it. But and
that's that's grammin In for you. The ecosystems are so
interesting and so plentiful and uh, it's uh, it's a
lot of fun.
Speaker 1: Hey, we brushed on it earlier. What is going to
ask you as well, Lauren? Are you familiar of you
with what we find here? Is that I could go
back to many of the beaches I foraged in and
played in whatever, and we could there were there would
be a spot where we would get dulls, not the
whole beach. We in Helmsdale, the village I from, we
had a we called it the Dulce Rock. H Are
you familiar with that that that it's in certain areas,
not extensive over the whole beach.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, yeah, definitely. You know and on Grammar and I
think even you know around the world, there's a certain
area of Grammana on that western coastline which faces main
that's the world famous dolls, and that douls that grows
along that western coastline is actually the same dolls that
the indigenous past Mcquattye natives used to come over by
canoe from Maine and depending on the season, they would
come over and they'd harvest seaweed and dolls was such
a big part of their diet. And you know that
was you know, that was just over one hundred years ago.
The last known sighting of the past Mcquatdye was early
nineteen thirties coming over here in harvesting, and interesting enough,
so many years later a lot of the locals use
those same harvesting and processing methods. But yeah, so there's
that well known area on that western coastline, but also
even in neighboring islands around Gramina as well, you can
find not only dolls, but other seaweed varieties. So there's
definitely known spots, and then there's other spots too, which
you know I would call, you know, honey holes where
people will go and you know, they try to keep
these spots secret, but you're always going to have other
harvesters that follow you to certain spots because they saw
what you would harvested the day before, so you know
that's Graham and Ann right, So yeah, there's there's certainly
lots of different varieties and lots of different places you
could pick.
Speaker 1: You know, when you talk about islands, do you know
and are you familiar with the our area? They're not
ripping them any North of Scotland and north of US
there's a group of islands called the Orkney Islands.
Speaker 2: I don't think I am no.
Speaker 1: Okay, there's one of them, one of the islands, North
Ronald's there and they have their own breeder's sheep there
and would you believe it, Lauren, the fence is around
the island and the sheep cannot get all of the
beach because they're in the outside of the fence. On
the beach, they can't eat. They can't even get in
fast defence to eat pastures.
Speaker 2: That sounds like Alcatraz for for sheep or something. That's funny. Yeah,
wow wow.
Speaker 1: And they make an enormous price for them. They have
a huge name. But that's not just stick into dulls,
that's just seaweed. And but even in the like of
the Faroe Islands and also Iceland and Greenland, they have
over the course of the year. The sheep will have
they will be so long on the beach m h
a certain time on the pastures, and then a certain
time on the on the hill they would be they
would be in the mountains on the hill, so at
w be three different places that would be eaten over
the course of the year. Let me tell you that
I think that every they are all superb. But the
scandiny of the Iceland and theeaters they reckon greenland lamb
is the number one.
Speaker 2: Isn't that interesting? Greenland lamb? That's that's neat okay, And
I really like that you brought up livestock. I wasn't
going to touch on this, but live stock can actually
eat different kinds of seaweed varieties, and it shouldn't be
a primary feed for them. It should be something that
supplements their feed because it's so high in iodine and
other things that would be more conducive to the diet
for you, for you or I. But they can definitely
eat seaweed. In fact, I dropped off some dolls to
a farmer on the mainland about two months ago for
their horse and sometimes that helps with their coat and
other things too. There's different health benefits for the livestock,
but again it's just more of a supplement to their feed.
But yeah, it just goes along with what I said earlier,
the versatility, you know.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. The only other thing I would have to
see maybe a confession time telling you all about the
special laity is for finding the lake adults. I'm saying
it here as if I'm being quite open, but I'll
tell you very few people would ever tick to the.
Speaker 2: Spot, right right, Yeah.
Speaker 1: Like any good photogeny network, never disclosing exactly exactly.
Speaker 2: And let me tell you, like I have, you know,
I have my honey holes, and I'm not about to
give them up, right So I would say some of
these spots, even my my brother might be the only
person that knows some of these spots. And I'll take
these spots to my grave. But uh, and after people
listen to this podcast, they're gonna they're gonna follow me.
But that's okay.
Speaker 1: You're you mean did you actually mean you're not gonna
give them? What did you say? You're the hunting sports,
You're not You're not going to give them up?
Speaker 2: I know, definitely not no.
Speaker 1: Things. Some of the things I was gonna ask you.
I don't think you're gonna share them either.
Speaker 2: No, no, I won't be giving you, no, no, any
kind of coordinates and where to find these spots. But uh,
but you know what, like I said earlier, there are
there's so many different spots on the island where you
can harvest, and there's neighboring islands too. And what's interesting
too is you know, if you go two or three
miles up the road and you stick on the you know,
on the same coastline, it's so diverse. These ecosystems are
so diverse you could there's lots of there's lots of
product wherever you go, so there's no shortage of areas.
And you know, despite the fact that this is kind
of the main economy in the summertime, there's quite a
few harvesters. There's lots of different places where they can pick.
So yeah, yeah, that's not a problem at all.
Speaker 1: You know, we're talking about the many different uses. I
remember as my father that when we were younger, just
see get in early teens and when we're wanting to
get pocket money. I mean, when I hear what pocket
money children get, no, I'm almost staggered with it because
when I was that age, and people obviously not just me,
but everyd by aage. If you didn't work, you hadn't
got pocket money. So we used to get to the beach,
pick up, pick the wenkles. My father. My father showed
me how to you know, we have tangle is what
we called it. There's a there's a stem, quite a
hard stem on it on a long flat leaf.
Speaker 2: Mm hmm.
Speaker 1: He got he had showing me how to set it
in pools where I would maybe get winkles. Leave it,
leave it a few tides.
Speaker 2: Mm hmm.
Speaker 1: Come back, pick up the tongle, put it under the bag,
shake it, shake the tonguele, and you would fill it
with winkles.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, they would stick to this. Yes, that makes so
much sense. And uh, you know, when it comes to kelp,
I think that might be what you're referring to. There's
certain kinds of help that you find in these little
tidal pools and sometimes the matter of flipping over the kelp,
and there's dozens of periwinkles that are just sucking the
nutrients out of these pieces of help, and that probably
sometimes influences their size. I don't really know the science there,
but it probably affects their size. But I can tell
you one other thing. We don't want to sway too
much from dulls here, but you mentioned the periwinkles. This
is something I learned recently from a friend of mine
that the size of the periwinkles is really determined by
how much exposure that coastline has to swell, you know,
tides and things like that. And if this is a
coastline that's major league exposed and it's just all ocean
and it's just getting hammered all the time, you can
expect those periwinkles, those wrinkles to be massive. And of
course that's you know, beneficial for the harvester because when
you go to process these periwinkles, there's regular size and
there's large size, and when you're shaking them down, you
know you want to have large periwinkles because they pay
thirty cents more than a regular size periwinkle per pounds.
So that's interesting you mentioned about that kelp But that's
a big part of the diet for these little water snails.
These periwinkles fantastic.
Speaker 1: But as you said, dolls, I think you'd ask you no,
Lauren but anybody who never tried dolls, you see it
dolls really is and why should they care it?
Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, like I said, not only is it a
big part of the culture here, but it's something that
is used in culinary in you know, application within the kitchen.
You can use it to you know, elevate the flavor
profile of the food. You can snack on it. It's funny,
you know, if you were to be hitchhiking down the
road on Graham and An Island where I live, which
is very common here and very safe. A lot of
people hitchhike if they're going to the grocery store, it
wouldn't be uncommon during the summer months to see a
handful of DULs on the dash, you know, and somebody's
just snacking on it. They just leave it there. That's
kind of how it is down here. So yeah, it's
such a big part of the culture. And on top
of that too, about ninety five percent of the supply
of dulls in the world comes from Graham and Ann
and so it just goes to show you, you know,
how important it is. But unfortunately, I would say, you know,
in recent years, you know, there's definitely been a difference
in the harvesting. You know, I would say more people
are harvesting more than ever now and that's definitely had
an effect on the growth and the quality. You know.
There's different people that you could talk to who have
been dulcing for fifty years of their life and they
would say, you know, back in the seventies and eighties,
dults would grow to three or four feet in length.
But now people are harvesting earlier in the year, in
April and in times like that, where I would say
a lot of the product is still in its infancy stage,
you know, and it doesn't really get a chance to
grow to full maturity and it's just being scraped off
the rock. So it's just it's so important to hold
off and let it grow a little bit and and
then you're going to get the best quality stuff. But yeah, no,
it's it's it's a big part of the economy here,
it's a big part of the lifestyle, and it's versatility.
It's shipped all over the world too, you know. Uh.
And yeah, gram Anders I think are proud of it
as a product. They're proud of it.
Speaker 1: Would you ask if I was just sit here taking
a stage further from that, and it's been eaten for
generations around the coasts. What have we lost in how
we volue it today or have we lost it or
have we lost anything?
Speaker 2: That's a great question, and I feel like somebody like
my father could probably speak better to that. You know,
he's somebody who harvested in the nineteen eighties and the
early nineteen nineties, and I would say the biggest thing
we've lost maybe the sustainability of it. You know, like
I said, there's dozens and dozens of dories and small
boats that will go out and just go overboard in
the harvesting, and there's really not a lot of regulation
when it comes to dolls, and so there's people going out,
you know, prematurely to pick, and so it's a matter,
you know, like I said, giving it a chance to grow.
And you know, the quality is so important, and even
when a harvester goes out and picks, they want the
best quality product that they can go and sell, because
when you go to somebody who buys dolls, there's going
to be first quality dolls that's worth a certain amount,
and then there's going to be that second quality dolls.
Second quality dolls is something that might be grinded up
into flakes, and it may aesthetically maybe it doesn't look
as good. Maybe it's got some gray leaf in it,
and gray leaf is something that happens, you know, when
it might be a little bit sun burnt and things
like that. So the quality isn't there, it's it's really
more aesthetically. The flavor is still going to be there,
the taste is going to be there, but it just
doesn't look as good. It's not something that maybe you're
gonna want to buy at the farmer's market. So conditions
are important. And yeah, no, it's about just doing it
right and having integrity when you pick. That's the biggest
thing for sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's really good. So from that, do you feel
it's a forgotten food making a comeback or are we
reinventing something that's really never been away.
Speaker 2: I would say it's bec coming more well known to
people and a lot of buyers, a lot of retail
spaces are open to the idea of giving it a
shot for different reasons. I think, well, first of all,
it's got phenomenal shelf life. Dulce is something that can
last up to three years if it's kept in a
cool area, a dark space. Usually it flies off the
shelf and during the summer months, but if it's kept
well then it can last for a long time. And
it's such a nutrient dense food too, there's so many
nutrients in DULs. So I think, yeah, I think a
lot of health food suppliers and retail stores are willing
to give it a shot and see how people if
they're going to be receptive to it or not. And
I would say a large part a large demographic of
my customers or baby boomers, you know, a lot of these.
I love hearing stories of people in their sixties and
seventies who, you know, their experience with dolls as a kid,
whether it's going to the store the market with their
grandfather and and then bringing bringing home dolls and maybe
frying it up on the woodstove, kind of like you
would with bacon, you know. And by by the way,
for any vegans out there, this is a great alternative
for bacon. It's got that similar flavor profile and and
you don't really feel as guilty, and it's certainly got
better health benefits too. But I would say a lot
of people are giving it a shot, you know, and yeah,
for the health fanatics, they're they're willing to incorporate that
into their diet and and give it a try.
Speaker 1: You've seen the industry evolve obviously here involvement in that.
What changed, do you feel for the better or has
anything gone backwards? Uh?
Speaker 2: I love that. You know, you see chefs different restaurants
across the country, across Canada incorporating fresh sea seaweed or
seafood into their menus. And you know, I'm not just
talking about dulls, different kinds of help and Irish moss
and things like that. They're they're they're you know, implementing
that into their cuisine. And what I'd like to see
happen more with people though, is is using it more
day to day in their kitchen. You know, you know,
like they use salt and pepper, put a pinch of
DULs flakes on your on your eggs in the morning,
or you know, dulse powder, Irish moss, use these things
and you're smoothie get those health benefits. So I'd love
to see it, you know, more in the day to day.
And I think you're seeing more of that, I really do,
especially with food influencers, you know, on Instagram and Facebook.
They're they're using things and it starts to I think,
get some traction for sure.
Speaker 1: One of BBC had a team up doing a in
the area and they had me cooking us cooking fish
because the reputation from using what was local. Do you know?
Do you know what the dish the plump on for
me to cook? I think I could probably find a
copy of the video and I could send to you.
Speaker 2: I'd love to see it.
Speaker 1: It was soul with a dullll butter sauce.
Speaker 2: Oh, that's nice. That's nice. That sounds great man. Anything
seaweed or anything seafood related, I'm in Yeah, that sounds
so good man. And how'd you enjoy that?
Speaker 1: Oh it was fantastic. But I U there weren't. There
had no trouble. They didn't need to convince me that
because we used I used seaweeds so much, you know,
when we had the restaurant.
Speaker 2: Mm hmm.
Speaker 1: Even if it is sort of oysters, there would be
an abet of seaweed.
Speaker 2: I love that. I love that. That's great. Yeah, it
h it's neat how you can garnish food with with
something that you just harvest along the coastline and It's
also interesting too, you know, you talked about that dish
with the soul. You probably don't need, you know, that
much dulce or that much sea truffle or or you know,
because the flavor, it doesn't take much to really elevate
that flavor profile. When you add something like that, That
unami flavor profile is strong, and it's just having a
little bit of that, that subtle flavor to add to
a dish and goes a long way, it really does,
you know. I think, you know, even recently, we've talked
about sea truffle a little bit. I had some sea truffle,
which is one of the products that I harvest. It
was it was showcased at the Canadian Culinary Championships a
couple of months ago, and it really took off. I
think since then. There's a lot of people, chefs in particular,
that reach out to me at a curiosity, you know,
what's the deal with this? How can I use this?
And so that's been something that's really really taken off
in recent months. And like I said, you don't really
need too much of it. And with sea truffle too,
it's got such a potent flavor and it's not like dulce.
DULs kind of has that salty flavor, you know, and
with DULs you can snack on it and things like that.
Sea truffle is more of a garnish. It's something that
you would just use in such a mild way for
a dish, and it's it's a bold flavor, but it
adds so much, especially two different seafood related dishes.
Speaker 1: Yeah, when you're saying them without snacking. Remember, I was
doing a lot of business with the Paroe islands' that's
you could say from looking at the north of Scotland
and Iceland. Pharaoh is right in the middle, and we
used to I used to deal with a lot of
Faiewese boats, that was Faiwes fishermen with her Faiies boats
fishing Pharaoh waters and they would come and land their
fish and scrabs there where I was based. I did
a lot of business for oh I'm talking fifteen to
twenty years, and I got they know a lot of
them really well. And I spent a lot of time
going back and forth to the Pharaohs. One of the
skippers who I classed as a close friend. Unfortunately he
was lost. See you know, his boat was lost lord
and he lost. That was for the family. That was
the father then and son in law all lost.
Speaker 2: Wow.
Speaker 1: Wow, so the father son and the daughter's husband that
when they were all before that happened. I was in
the Pharaohs when I long to see them, they asked
me along for a meal. And before that there were snacks.
Just when you mentioned snacks, it came to my mind.
The what we got. I'm not sure the Quality Street
and Macintosh. It's like chocolates with different flavored centers.
Speaker 2: I'm familiar, yes.
Speaker 1: Okay, And there was Quality Streets, Macintosh, different topies. There
was bits of seaweed and a plate and there were
parts of dried fish on it. And the children, every
one of the children never touched a chocolate.
Speaker 2: Is that right to turn off?
Speaker 1: Was it? No? Yet? They were on the seaweed and
the dried fish.
Speaker 2: Mm hmmmm hmm. Interesting.
Speaker 1: I thought that was really really interesting.
Speaker 2: Mm hmm. Yeah, yeah, hmm. That's that's different. That's different.
Speaker 1: I think that's just a ats or culture. That's that.
My goodness, How good is that for them?
Speaker 2: Absolutely? Yeah, no, definitely, definitely. I mean, I'll I'll eat
anything as long as that's not onions. That's one thing
I've never liked, but uh yeah, it's it's interesting how
people use seaweed in in in culinary cuisine. I I
you know, even yesterday I had sprinkled some some dulse
flakes on my popcorn. And you can find different creative
ways to use it and get those health benefits. But
I've never heard it paired with fish before. That's really neat.
Speaker 1: Okay. Dulcet has often talked about as a superfood. It
does do you buy that? Or it is that marketing
getting ahead of reality? Do you feel it?
Speaker 2: It's loaded with nutrients, It's it's high and it's high
in iodine. It's a great source for iron, especially if you're,
like I said, a vegan or a vegetarian that doesn't
eat red meat. It's high in those nutrients that sometimes
you know, they don't find elsewhere. It's got potassium, it's
got magnesium, it's got calcium, and it's got plant based protein.
So you're really you're covering so many bases there, and
I think it should be incorporated more into a lot
of these, you know, people who are older who maybe
have these deficiencies, and it could be almost used as
a replacement sometimes I don't want to get myself in
trouble here, but from any pharmacists or doctors. But it's
got so many health benefits and I think it should
be incorporated more into into the diet for sure, because
one hundred percent it is a superfood. That's a good point.
Speaker 1: Excellent good dams that I would say, because I felt this,
I feel exac same.
Speaker 2: I should say in moderation, you know, like anything you
want to eat in moderation because it is high in iodine,
but certainly one of the healthiest snacks out there.
Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely are there risks or misconceptions people should be
aware of, you feel in any.
Speaker 2: Way, Yeah, there might be a few. I would say.
Some people might think that it's, you know, some kind
of miracle food because it checks off so many different
you know, vitamins and minerals you can get. But it's
not you know, you still want to eat from all
the all the food groups that are suggested by the
Canadian you know, food guidelines, but it is nutrient dense
and you know, comes straight from the ocean and it's
not processed like you'd have a bag of chips down
at the gas station. It's it's it's not going to
fix you overnight either, but it's real food, you know,
It's not a shortcut and definitely eating in moderation. But
I don't think there's major misconceptions. I think that there's
a lot of people in the Maritimes, most people that
be familiar with dulls and and those who like it.
They actually those who love it love it, and those
who hate it hate it. But one thing I should
touch on as well too is as the Eastern Canada
becomes more populated, there's been such an influx of immigrants,
especially from areas like Korea and China and the Philippines,
and a lot of these nations sea seafood in particular
is a big part of their diet, and I feel
like they're going to be more interested in trying things
like this in their own cuisine, and so it's it's
a cultural thing for us, and I think it's gonna
it's gonna become even bigger too, with all these immigrants,
I really do.
Speaker 1: How do you feel about what was going to mention?
Just no Lord, I think I would say a misconception
we have people have is they're seeing seaweed and all
this sea. It is. Oh, it's just something that lies
on the rocks. But if they were to see it
when the tide is in, they would see the importance
of it. Because there's so many. You talked earlier about
the different varieties and they all got their uses. Now
we have we have the I'm sure you'll probably have
the same there rack rack, there's bladder rack and a
few different racks now and there'll be there'll be air
pockets like like we pops. We would squeeze them and
pop them with the air. Now there is I mean,
they're important because that's what takes them, keeps them up.
They're almost like a tree when the waters and the
tide esz. So that's it's it's not just food for
us when the tides out, but that's cover for small fish.
If there's for predators. There's so many. There's so much
importance in seaweed.
Speaker 2: Definitely, it's a big part of the ecosystem and it
is going to offer protection, like you said, for some
of those smaller crustaceans you know, from from predators in
the sea. And you know you mentioned the bladderwack and
that's something it's not something I actually deal with very much.
There's other people here on the island, other buyers that
do deal with it more often, but I'm not not
very familiar with it. But it is something that's harvested
a lot around here, and it has a lot of
interesting compounds in it too that are actually really good
for your skin. And you know, people who have rash
and ezema and things like that. There's a gel agent
in some of these things. I think you can also
find it in rock weed and just by rubbing it
around your hands and you can find actually some of
these things. They will extract the compounds out of these
different seaweeds and they'll put it into lotions and it's
just got incredible, incredible benefits for people who have skin issues.
You can find a lot of that bladderwack around Gramminghn
you really can, okay.
Speaker 1: I mean, as children, if we fail in the rock
and cut ourselves, cut a leg or that, it's a
bit to see, we would rob it round with no
bondages or plasters.
Speaker 2: Definitely, definitely, that's funny. That's not something that we would
use around here. We'd probably just go up to the
hospital and it was great, you know, living on a
little island like this. There's a hospital up the road
that services you know, the twenty four hundred people that
live here, And I would say, honestly, you get the
best healthcare on gram and An island. You know there
are there's I think there's three doctors down here, and
the wait time at the hospital is usually about ten
minutes compared to maybe twenty four hours on the mainland.
But you know, if there was a big build up
of people who who needed injuries to be dealt with,
I think they would probably just get into the shoreline
and they'd get covered up with stewee. That that's a
good alternative for sure.
Speaker 1: I would just be careful how far you go with
that one, or you're going to find yourself all of
a sudden over populated.
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, there's not there's not many. There's not many people. Countries,
never mind regions could make that claim. You know. Now,
I'll tell you we have a well it's a joke.
It's a joke. It's not it's not real, but it's
pretty close to the truth. And it's a joke that's
been born from the situation we have in the UK.
Just now, Okay, this guy came through and he says,
he's wife. You fancy a bit of fun. Yeah, I
always fancy a bit of fun. Fancy we played doctors
and nurses. Yeah, that would be good, that would be cool,
So he said the guy he gets his wife laser
on the bed, wheels it out to the hall, and
leaves her for forty eight hours.
Speaker 2: I didn't know where that joke was going. YMP, that's good.
That's good.
Speaker 1: Yeah, unfortunately, very much the usual. Now if somebody's taking
the hospital, they'll be in the corridor for a d
they're right right before the good loop.
Speaker 2: That Yes, yeah, definitely, definitely. Yeah, that's great, man, that's good.
Speaker 1: That's good.
Speaker 2: Any seaweed humor, I love it. Yeah, that's good man.
Speaker 1: It's wild harvesting a though sustainable at scale.
Speaker 2: You know, if I grew up harvesting this stuff forty
fifty years ago, I'd probably have a different answer now.
I would say, as long as harvesters can respect the
environment and sustainability is valued, then maybe we can get
back to a better place. Maybe these are species that
can be scaled at a greater level. But I think
the big thing right now is, yeah, respecting the seasons
and yeah, not going out prematurely to harvest, you know,
but I think think a well managed wild harvest can
be extremely sustainable long term. But it's just it's a
matter of like anything, you do it with integrity and definitely,
so I think it's it's just your approach. And but
i'd love to see it scaled, you know, even more
than it is now, and I'd love to see it
more well known. But you know, we'll just see how
that plays out over the next few years. But yeah,
it'd be interesting to see how that how that goes
with that.
Speaker 1: Mind, Lauren, a guy like yourself who is really harms
on with it on the beach, would you not feel Now,
I'm not going to start getting political here, but we
use it a lot because we're very much our politicians
are very much environmental driven more so than as we
say here, there's a massive difference between fictities science and
environmental science. But without trying to come from one side,
do you know, I feel at times people don't give
nature as much credit and gredance as it should get.
Speaker 2: Definitely, definitely, And you know, when people are motivated by greed,
then you know a lot of these regulations and you know,
thoughts about things just kind of go downhill. And I
think I think a lot of policies and add this
advocacy around seaweed. You know, it's important to consider, you know,
like I said, the seasons and stuff like that, and.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: The result of of how things have been going over
the last few years. It's just it's not the way
it was, you know, like I said forty years ago.
And for instance, see wee gets lumped together, you know,
by harvesting dolls completely different from cutting kelp or or
dragging for other marine resources. And so it's important to
to go about it in the right way. And and dolls,
you know, it's hand harvested. It's selective, and some species
tend to regrow quickly and others don't. And I would
say dulce is such unique, unique species, and so you
can't really compare apples to apples because it's every species
is so different. So it's important just to to be
familiar with with the guidelines. And there really isn't a
lot of regulations around these kinds of things. So it's
more about just like a gentleman's agreement. You know, we're
gonna go out this month to start harvesting We're not
going to go a couple months before and try to
beat everybody else. You know, it's May now and I
haven't gone out yet, and I want to wait till,
you know, the end of the month. And that's kind
of that's kind of how how it should be.
Speaker 1: I think, Yeah, yeah, definitely. I mean one of the things, Okay,
it's not seaweed, it's not dulls. But what's come to
my mind when I was asking you that it's weird
a situation over here where there were you know, the
razor clams. Mm hmm, there were and they were putting
a shock boats and had electro fishing. They were calling it.
There was putting that cable at the boat and lash
charge and it was given a shock, and I reckon
it was it was for a razor clam. And the
environmental groups and all the all this the people who
were up in arms about this so that they got
it banned for a while, and there were certain beaches
where there were still actively doing this electro fishing for
for razor clams. And it got to the stage Lorne
where even the compliance officers they are trying to stop
this happening, had to admit and one of them openly
admitted it, said it to me that they were finding
even with the electro fishing and the amount of razor clams,
they were almost dredging up. And it obvious I can't
read way, way beyond hand picking, but a few tides
and here with more razor clums, right right, So I
just feel that that's more or less what I was
coming from. That type of thing when we just we
just think negativity, negativity if you if you pick double
the just see you pick dulce today and you pick
double tomorrow, or you're fishing yourself out. I just don't
I don't see that right right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a it's a good it's a good idea
just to kind of mix it up and go to
different spots, let other places, you know, replenish, and naturally
that's going to happen if you if you let an
area you know, replenish and let the tides come in
and out, you know, you go back in a couple
of weeks, they'll be you know that much more you
know product there. So it's go to rotate your spots
as a harvester, and I think that's what a lot
of people like to do. So yeah, I know that's
that's important. That's a good point. That's a good point.
Speaker 1: Yeah. And another big point here, which I feel is
fair to mention, which I'm absolutely sure you're right with
a great saying a lot of fishermen have here, we
don't work against nature is you can't work against nature
if you if you did, he says, if you were
playing a game with nature and you went against it,
they would just kick the board. She would kick the board.
So mh they talk about working with there's no other
you don't play against nature. You work with it.
Speaker 2: Definitely, Definitely what you're.
Speaker 1: Saying there, that's exactly what you're doing.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, And you know, there's so many variables. There's so
many things that go into my approach every time I
go oute to harvest, and you know, you want to
look at obviously the tide schedule and to see what
time blow tide is at, but on top of that too,
you want to see what the weather conditions are, what's
it look like as far as wind, what's the swell
going to be like? You know, every time I'm going
to wear a life jacket, you know, two kids at home,
I'm always gonna wear a lifejacket and a wife. So
but it's important to look at those conditions because it
just it allows you to anticipate, you know, what what
might happen, and you know, if it's if it's rough,
then maybe it's just not worth going out, even though
it might be a matter of leaving money on the table.
You know, my life's more valuable than that. I've had
a few close calls even over the last three or
four years. One was on a scolloping boat and the
two other times were while I was out harvesting product.
So it's just it's it's it's important to consider all
the variables.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: One other thing that's huge on gramm And is the fog.
You know, all year round it's always foggy here, and
you know, so visibility that's another thing too. So yeah,
it's just good to be aware of of of what
to expect. For sure.
Speaker 1: That's good, that's great. It's a roughly viable market for
dolls beyond sort of niche buyers.
Speaker 2: Mm hmm. I would say the short answer is yes.
You know, the eastern provinces of Canada, there's so many
meat shops and markets and and retailers that that carry dolls.
But as I said, there's a there's an incrediblemount of
versatility in the product, and it could be used as
a salad topper, you know, it could be it could
be used like I said in livestock Feed. So yes,
there's there is, there is a viable market for dolls.
It's it's about knowing what it can be used in
and and how it can benefit you. So if you
understand those things, then I think there's going to be
more awareness about it. Yeah, it can certainly go a
long way, for sure.
Speaker 1: It's really interesting. And what you've said before, do you
feel where you are that's one of the pame ideots
in the world.
Speaker 2: Mm hmm for harvesting dolls. Yeah, yeah, definitely. The majority
of the dolls that's harvested in this world comes from
Graham and Island and that gets shipped all over the world.
And there are you know, big companies that produce vitamins
and you know, protein shakes and things like that, and
they incorporate not just dolls powder, you know, kelp powder
and things like that. Because of the how nutrient dance
it is. It's just it's phenomenal, and I think when
people start to realize, you know, all the different usages.
I think you're going to see, you know, like we
talked about earlier, we're going to see it's hopefully scale
and it's going to become you know, that much more
known around the world. There's so much potential there, you know.
Speaker 1: The idiot eleven. Here in northern Scotland, there's a company
who are actually producing you know, we call them crisp
you know, snocks, bugs bugs. You can get salt and
vinegar or or ready salted. Do you call them crisps
I know? Or chips?
Speaker 2: Yeah, it would be like a like a kettle chip.
Or are we talking something that's like a seaweed, like
a seaweed chip.
Speaker 1: Well, there's a company here, That's what I was going
to see. The meat seaweed Dulse flavor is one of them.
And they're sure sure they call themselves if if a
look at it and google it and yeah, they make
a dulls flavor crisp.
Speaker 2: What we call that sounds that sounds delicious if you
pair that with what what kind of beer would you
pair that with?
Speaker 1: Jim, Well, I think that's the master the taste I
would have that way. When we talk about bead here.
It could be a brown eel or I would have
a lot what we call a laga.
Speaker 2: Mm hmmm. That sounds great. That sounds awesome. I there's
nothing that beats having a bruski on the deck in
the summertime with dolls. They just pair so well together,
you know. And yeah, that's one of my favorite snack
pairings as a beer and and some dolls. That sounds great.
Speaker 1: There's a close friend of mine. He actually he is
not doing it. No, it was hideous things happened. But
he was making his own claf vinegar mm hmm. And
one of the flavors which was absolutely to die for
it smoked Dulls vinegar.
Speaker 2: Wow wow wow. I love that. Whoever does like product
development in Scotland, I would love to meet them all
these different things smoke dolls. This sounds great. These are
great ideas. I'm not sure why Canadians haven't picked up
on this.
Speaker 1: This is you know what it is. You know how
he was what he was smoking them with? Tell me
the chips from whiskey bottle.
Speaker 2: Wow?
Speaker 1: Oh wow?
Speaker 2: And and you've tried that before, have you? Oh?
Speaker 1: Just absolutely well. I used to put it in so
many of my sauces and dishes. It was just fantastic.
In fact, I could eat, I could easily put you
in touch with this guy and you could talk because,
like you and me from our conversations, he said his
happiest when he's on a beach. Mmm.
Speaker 2: Definitely. Man, that sounds so good.
Speaker 1: Such such a talented chef who some of the products
he's come up with, Lauren were just amazing. But that
for me anyway, that was the best smoke.
Speaker 2: Dulciboy get that sounds so good?
Speaker 1: Oh wow, yep. What would you say is the biggest
barrier consumer perception, supply or price?
Speaker 2: Hmmm? I would say, I mean, hey, the sales side
for me is is the easy part. But I would
say maybe consumer perception that might be the biggest hurdle.
You know, I talked about the inflex in Asian immigrants,
and I think, yeah, once they once they start using
that dulls and not just dolls, you know, all those
other kinds of seaweed, and these are different seaweeds that
don't necessarily grow in places like Asia, you know, or
or these other places that they're coming from. I think
when they understand the culinary application for these different seaweeds.
I think you're going to see more of it used.
But yeah, I would say consumer perception, that's probably the
biggest hurdle. So ask me that question five years and
hopefully it's. Hopefully it's different.
Speaker 1: I'll think I know it. Have you seen big players
come in and misunderstand the product?
Speaker 2: You know a lot of these big players you talk
about big players on graham and An Island, there's probably
hopefully I don't misspeak here, but I would say there's
probably around seven or eight different big buyers on the island.
I have a lot of respect for them, you know,
I do a lot of business with some of them
as well. You know, a lot of these guys they
originate from the island, and they come from generations of harvesters.
Their father, their grandfather are harvested and you know, their
grandfather might have used oars and now we use you know,
small outboard motors. You know. But a lot of these
guys are salt the earth kinds of people, and they
were raised well and they're just looking to provide for
their family, like myself. But yeah, they have respect for
the land. You know, they're third and fourth generational harvesters
and they're all good guys to deal with, they really are.
But you know, there's definitely competitive side do it too,
you know, and you're always you know, you can't help
but looking to see, you know, what they're up to.
But I feel like I've got, you know, enough ideas
inside of me how I want to see, you know,
my brand move forward. I just try to focus on,
you know, what I'm doing. But a lot of the
guys here are are really good guys.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: There's there's people from the states, from Maine that have
ownership and different companies or different stakes down here on
Graham and Ann. But yeah, they're all they're all good
to deal with. They're all good people, and it makes
that much it makes it that much easier to go
out in the shore line and and you know, just
get along with everybody, right.
Speaker 1: Yeah, what's the right way to eat dolls? In your
remain on what are people getting wrong? Perhaps?
Speaker 3: Mmmm?
Speaker 2: Well, I'll tell you there are numerous ways to eat dolls.
I mentioned earlier about how you can fry it on
your stove, which probably is something that was more more
well known or seen, you know, sixty seventy years ago,
when more people had wood stoves, but wood stoves are
actually a big thing on Grammin and even today just
because the houses are so old. But yeah, you can.
You can cook it over the stove. Yeah, you can
grind it up into flakes. You can. You could have
it even in the smallest form like powder or flour,
and you could sprinkle it on your salad and it
could be snacked. It could be snacked, you know, along
with the beer. Like I said, so, there are so
many ways to use it. There's no right way. People
just have their preferences and it's it's always interesting to see,
you know, how they use it. But I would say
generally it's it's eaten as whole leaf, and that means
there's nothing it's not grinded up at all, just eating
the way it was dried.
Speaker 1: Great. Just say we haunted uh or I handed those
to a top chef. What would you expect them to
do with it?
Speaker 2: Hmm. That's a great question. And you know, I have
some friends who are chefs, and I think that that
might even that might even make them think too, because
I don't think that dolls is used in Michelin Star restaurants,
like maybe other seaweeds are like maybe you see sea
truffle the way that's used. So I think there's maybe
ways that haven't been discovered yet on how you can
use dolls in cuisine. But I think, you know, it
can be used in soups and things like that, especially
when it's when it's ground up. But that's a really
good question and that's something that I'm going to have
to look into.
Speaker 1: Believe it or Laurens. There's are one of the well
it's reputation though as one of the top restaurants in Scotland,
and it's name Dulls no kidding, yep. Now I've never
been there, so I don't know if their use of
that Dulls, but I'm certainly hoping to be there and
talking to them. I hope it's not just a word
that sounded good. It's a seafood restaurant. Yeah, yeah, it
gets great reviews.
Speaker 2: Mm hmm. That's interesting. I'd love to see their menu.
I get the sense that, yeah, like you said, seafood
and I'm sure they implement a lot of seaweed in
different ways into their menu. Maybe they use use it
for broths and soups and stuff like that. But man,
I would love to get a hold of one of
their menus. That sounds really good.
Speaker 1: Well, I'm sure you it'll be online. Dulce is a
name in the restaurant.
Speaker 2: Hm. Hm, that's delicious. And this is interesting too. You
know you mentioned early in the conversation that dulce is
something that you could find around uh, you know, around
Scotland and some of those areas. I had no idea.
I didn't know that's something that you would find in
that part of the world. But it makes sense. I
can see. I can see ecosystems being similar to what
they are here that cold water, and I think that's
when seaweeds like dolphs excel the most when they're in
those cold conditions.
Speaker 1: Yeah, mm hmm. Could can dulse ever become a staple
food or well? It always set on the edge.
Speaker 2: I hope it becomes a staple food. But because it's
got such a unique taste, that's a good question. You know,
if you asked my wife that, I think she would say,
uh no, because she's she's not somebody who really favors
seaweed eat and seafood. But I hope it's something you know,
not just enjoyed by locals, but also by Taurus. And
you know, people who live in the more urban areas,
they don't have a history with it, you know, So
it really is a cultural thing here and if it's
something you're trying for the first time, it might take
you a while to really get warmed up to it.
But I would love to see it become more of
a staple. I mean, it is big in the Maritimes,
but more in places like New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
If you went to Newfoundland or Prince Edward Island, maybe
not as much, but it's it's definitely part part of
the culture here in New Brunswick for sure.
Speaker 1: You know, it makes me think how strange things are. Lordless,
we're I'm asking you a question like that and you're
not show it. But when you think back to a
previous question and you're and you're you're saying about all
the vital or nutrients that that are you get by
eating it? M hm, calciums and magnesium, my goodness there
all its essential for us.
Speaker 2: To absolutely absolutely yeah, I know, there's no question. It's
it's so nutrient dense and it's we touched on it earlier.
It's a superfood and you know, there's there's just so
many ways that can be used.
Speaker 1: And do you would you we are this one? I
often feel just in general, not yeah, very much about seaweed,
but amos Hian types and that. But when we talk
about that, I don't know whether maybe like a culture
and we're saying will it become, but it would almost
all be going back to what where we were because
it was a very important ingredient for our well, when
I go back to my grandparents and parents, it was
really really important.
Speaker 2: Definitely definitely, Yeah. I mean for years, for years, it's
been important. And it's interesting that even in other cultures
it was a big part of their diet, you know,
European cultures and indigenous cultures, and now even today, you know,
twenty first century, it's almost like it's making a comeback,
you know, and it's becoming more well known and I'd
love to see that. It's just so unique.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Would you encourage young people to build a business
around dolls today as a market big enough? Do you feel, h.
Speaker 2: I would encourage young people to build a business, uh,
you know, but I would encourage him to build build
it around something that they're passionate about, you know, and
you know, as you're asking that question, there's a good
friend of mine that comes to mind, somebody who have
you know, been fortunate to travel the world with. And
you know, nearly twenty years ago, myself and this friend
we went to Australia and you know, we we got
to have some experiences overseas and he discovered a real
keen interest in water sports, particularly in surfing, and now
he runs you know, one of the most successful surf
schools in Eastern Canada. So with that said, I would
say that, you know, if you have the ambition, it's
it's heard being an entrepreneur, there's so many challenges. But
you know, if you have that ambition, you know, certainly
start a business that's related to something you're passionate about.
And for a lot of people that's not going to
be seaweed, you know. But yeah, there's there's definitely a
need for for more promotion for for seafood and seaweed,
and but on top of that, the importance of sustainability
is is huge too. So but there's definitely, you know,
there's a lot of hustle related to to starting a
business with something like seafood and seaweed. It's it's a
it's a niche market, but there's definitely there's definitely a
business for it for sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 2: That.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I see where is the DULs industry in ten
years would it be? Do you think it would be bigger,
better or maybe struggling or.
Speaker 2: I think, you know, by God's grace, it's flourishing. As
the environment is constantly changing, It's so hard to anticipate
these things. But I'd like to think that dulcing will
be as fruitful now, you know, a decade from now
than it was in the nineteen seventies and eighties. And
I'm somebody who tends to be optimistic about things, but yeah,
I can see hopefully this is something that's sustainable and
it's it's, like I said, just as big as it
was forty years ago. Because I think it's it's important
now people are I think people are more health conscious
and they're thinking about, you know, how can I incorporate
things into my diet. You know, that's going to taste
first and foremost is it going to taste good? You know?
But also how's it going to benefit me? How's it
going to help me with my health? And you know,
so I'd love to see it continue to flourish, you know,
a decade from now. But we'll see how that goes.
Speaker 1: Great, great, yes, of course. I mean we're talking about
I'm asking the question. I'm even thinking about my own question.
I'm asking you what's going to be like in ten years.
Here's me asking that when it's been going on for
hundreds of years, it's.
Speaker 2: Been you definitely, definitely, yes, Yeah, Yeah, it's got it's
it's so rich in history, you know, and and it's
been a big part of you know, of of individual's
diet for that for a long time. So yeah, hopefully
that continues to be the case years from now.
Speaker 1: Is there anything you feel needs to change for it
to be taken series in mainland food culture, mainstreams food culture.
Speaker 2: I think people, you know, they just need to give
it a chance. And even if it's the flavor profile
that might deter somebody because it's not something you're accustomed to,
it's it's it's interesting to me, this boggles me. There's
people in the Maritimes that have never tried dulse before,
and but I think if you learn how to pair
it with something that that you enjoy, the flavor and
like I said, if that's a beer or or if
you have eggs in the morning, then yeah, no, just
learn learn to pair it with something that you enjoy
and maybe you'll you'll get used to flavor profile and
it'll become something that's part of your diet.
Speaker 1: Okay, okay, you know from a chef in experiences, anybody
that asks me for advice on who to just say
a lobster, grab any shellfish or the like, and I would,
I always say, look, goes close as you can to
the environment that they've come from. Peribly, every days says
I would use seawater before I would start adding salt
water in the top, and I said, use seaweed or
anything like that. Even better still mm hmmm mm hm.
Are you for that that just keep everything to the
environment that it's been growing, brought happened.
Speaker 2: Definitely. Definitely it's important that you know to to eat
things that aren't processed right. And uh, you know, it's
funny people who who eat lobster down here, they will
often boil their lobster in salt water, you know, rather
than adding salt to the water. And yeah, the closer
you get to to you know, farming and seafood and
things like that. You know, it's it's only going to
benefit you, you know, and I'd love to see more
of that, you know, eating eating local. It's it's so
important and I think it's becoming bigger now than it
ever has been. And I think a big reason for
that is social media, you know, people promoting things and
but yeah, supporting local businesses. I can't I can't be
more of an advocate for that for sure, Lauren.
Speaker 1: What does Dulce mean to you personally beyond business apart
from the very name you've been given, The Adults Man,
right right?
Speaker 2: Oh man? Uh yeah, so, I uh, there's definitely a
lot of pride for sure. First of all, pride for
coming from a place like Graham and Ann Island. It's
just got there's so much beauty here, and you know,
and Dulce is synonymous with Graham and Ann and you know,
so I think not forgetting your roots. It's so important,
you know, to not forget where you came from. And
you know, I'm proud of of of what I've done
so far. And you know, hopefully this brand, the Dults Man,
hopefully this continues to grow and become something that you know,
maybe you're able to pass down generations from now, but yeah,
certainly proud of it and and how it's grown over
the last couple of years. I really appreciate. There's a
lot of people that I could give credit to, you know,
different friends who have helped me and encouraged me along
the way. But yeah, just an incredible amount of pride,
you know, and even though it's just a side hustle
for me, it's something that you know, I enjoy and
you know, I've got this hat that I wear sometimes
it's got salt stains on it, but it's a little
logo of me in a dory the DULs Man, and
you know it's awesome. Yeah, my wife says the hatsmells
like salt and anyway, but I know I wear it
and I love it, and so certainly proud of the
brand and definitely want to continue to ride the momentum
that I've had over the last couple of years.
Speaker 1: That's fantastic. Well, honestly, I think you've ever any reason
to be proud of what you've done, and I think
credit to you as well. It's such a good, healthy
life you're living, and you know physically what you're doing
with your head's in a good place and doing something
that you're passionate about that's important as well.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, absolutely, yeah. I would say, you know, the quality
of life down here. People who work around the water,
you know, and they're being active. You know, it's just
it really speaks volumes and I think there's so many
benefits to it, you know, so it's it's definitely it
has been a good place in life mentally, you know,
being around smelling that salt water, and you know, I
I talked about how some of the most famous dolls
in the world comes from that western coastline of graham
and An island that that face is Maine, And you know,
when you're out there sometimes you you kind of get
these vibes like you're in Jurassic Park.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: It's there's cliffs, there's there's sea life, there's seals, and
it's just it's such an epic, epic scenery that you're
surrounded by, and that really adds to the experience. And uh,
you know, really fortunate to be able to enjoy this
in the season of life.
Speaker 1: With talking to you and going through the things that
we've talked about, I'm actually starting to feel now myself.
Oh maybe, although I've never thought a lot the boot it.
I've been a pretty good life.
Speaker 2: Definitely, definitely. Yeah. And you you you understand you can
empathize with a lot of what I'm saying too, because
you you grew up around the water and a lot
of your memories are are you know, they take place
around the water. And you mentioned what your dad fishing
and working in the restaurant industry and you understand do
you understand the hurdles and the sacrifices and the risks
and uh, you know, but certainly it's it's it's a
it's a good place to be in in life, to
be on the coast. I love it and it's it's special.
Speaker 1: Well, if you were open for advice, my advice to
you would be, don't change one thing you're doing.
Speaker 2: Thanks so much, Jim. I appreciate that, man, and I'll
take your advice.
Speaker 1: I good idea. Lord, Where can our listeners follow you
on lane? Then your social media presence?
Speaker 2: Absolutely? Yeah. So I'm on Instagram as the Dults man,
and also on Facebook and that's really where I you know,
deal with a lot of orders is Instagram at Facebook.
So yeah, you can definitely communicate with me through those platforms,
and I'm pretty receptive. I'm pretty quick to respond and
or by email as well, which is Lauren my first
name l O R n E. J w H at
gmail dot com. And you know, if there's different viewers
out there that have questions about Seaweed or DLS in particular,
or inquiries, I would love to hear from you, So
definitely reach out and would love to share with you
a little bit, a little bit about my knowledge for
for the product.
Speaker 1: All sounds fantastic, and I have to say it to
Lauren j w H. I've got this feeling it's not
the last time we're going to talk together.
Speaker 2: I hope not, Jim and you know, on that thought too,
I would love to send you a bag of world
famous Gramma and douls from the Dolls Man. So after
we're done with this episode, I need you to send
me your mailing address and I want to send you
and I want to know as far as flavor profile
and aesthetically how different the douls is here from what
you're used to growing up on. And I want, honest,
I know it's going to be hard for you because
I know there's a bias there, but I want to
know how different it is than what the dolls you're
used to. So I'm going to send you a bag
on the house.
Speaker 1: Well, students, I feel a little bit guilty from the
point of view you would have maybe a different way
of seeing this. But what we see in the UK
was do you do not feel it would be like
selling cool to Newcastle? You know, we would talk about
putting cools us talking a.
Speaker 3: Bit call to some an area that was minding their
own coal, right, right, So but I love the challenge
that you're you're actually I'm right and saying you're sending
it to me because you think yours is better.
Speaker 2: Actually, respectfully, I do, but to be the judge though.
Speaker 1: I love it. I love it. I love it so
thank you so much. Lord. We'll foold up with that
and really enjoyed it. And as I said, no bullshit,
I do feel we have a lot to do in
the future and a lot to talk about. A lot
of guys are telling you about the famb than the
why the vinegar and stuff like that. Put you in touch. No,
I think it's been fantastic. Thank you so much, the best.
Thank you