Local entrepreneurs with ties to the Pembina Valley, Ryan Wiebe and Shawn Vidal, are on a mission to help people become healthier, while making their taste buds happier, with a creative twist on a traditional staple.

"We believe that food is medicine, but it shouldn't have to taste like medicine," Wiebe says.

The dream led to the creation of the Bones & Marrow Broth Company in 2017 with the goal of sharing delicious and nutrient-packed broth and soups for people who care about quality food.

A soup delivery just waiting to be warmed up for the family

Wiebe explains the nutritional and medicinal properties of bone broth have been known for centuries as broth is a staple in traditional diets around the world. Roasting and simmering bones in water for an extended period extracts micronutrients, amino acids, and minerals, resulting in a nutrient-rich broth that benefits the whole body.

However, the time-consuming process requires a minimum 16 hours of tending to the simmering broth. Most of the time, Wiebe says he'll even sleep in the kitchen tending to the broth overnight.

But when Ryan's wife, a Naturopathic doctor who regularly encouraged patients to introduce bone broth into their diet to boost nutrition and provide support for gut health issues, found there weren't good local options, Ryan put his chef's hat on and got to work tinkering on his own recipe.

And when he realized friend and self-taught chef Shawn Vidal was also curious about bone broth and itching to start something, they quickly teamed up and Bones & Marrow was officially born. After two years of toiling (or boiling;) on evenings and weekends, Wiebe took the plunge and resigned from his teaching job to pursue the entrepreneurial dream full time.

The duo has quickly built a respected local brand that creates a wide range of broth and a line of soups that are as delicious as they are nutritious. In fact, Wiebe says "most of our sales are because people love the taste, many people don't even know or care that it's really good for them."

Wiebe notes that all their products are all gluten, soy, nut and dairy free, with no sugar added and they strive to use ethically sourced ingredients when possible, such as grass-fed beef bones from All Natural Meats in Carman and Eade Creek Grass-fed beef farm, in Anola.

"We are out to prove that healthy food can taste really, really good, we want to provide tasty options for people on restrictive diet protocols," Wiebe explains.

The nutrient-dense broth is tasty just sipping on its own and is even served by the cup at coffee shops in Winnipeg. However, he notes their broth is also a versatile cooking broth and is even used by a variety of local chefs, such as Morden's own Chef Kevin Funk.

Some of the varieties available"A good broth is so much more than just a starter for soup as it can be used in a wide variety of applications. B & M Rice pilaf has been a staple in our home for some time now and I also use it in my red wine demi-glace or just to elevate any gravy or sauce," Funk says. "A lot of time and care goes into their broth and you can definitely taste it. I love it. I cook with it, I drink it."

Their line of soups has expanded to include six different recipes with the ever-popular Coconut Chicken Curry being their best seller. With the convenience of a monthly subscription service and free home delivery it is easier and more convenient than ever for people to enjoy their products.

A community focus has led them to create community partnerships and fundraisers, collaborating with local companies to spread the word about Bones and Marrow Broth while donating a percentage of sales to causes like the Pembina Valley Humane Society.

The team drives to Southern Manitoba every month to deliver orders to customers, and also teams up with local vendors like The Potato Store, Co-op, King's Deli and Honeycomb Health.

To learn more about how you can get your own monthly subscription, or soupscription, go here , and use the promocode "B&MPembinaValley10" for $10 off the first month of any subscription purchase.