Ontario pickle company a product of decades of friendship between women

A pair of best friends from Ontario are keeping things cheeky with their homegrown pickle business

Self-declared "partners in brine," Elaine Boland and Tracey Liderri are more than just a pair of gal-pals; they're also the owners and operators of Whitby's Cheeky Pickles, a craft picklery that serves up unique, surprising and utterly snackable varieties.

Jarring up briny, sometimes spicy, always droolworthy flavours like the Hail Caesar!, which are pickled in a Caesar-inspired brine and, unsurprisingly, make an ideal garnish for the cocktail; Beer Garden IPA, pickle chips in a craft beer brine and Jerk, it's safe to say that the proof of Elaine and Tracey's passion is in the pudding.

Or should I say pickles?

The two women, who share over 40 years of friendship, have always shared the same love for "good food and all things pickled," they tell blogTO.

When the end of the pandemic coincided with their respective decisions to step back from their corporate jobs, their dream of starting a small business together quicky crystallized, "leaving us in the perfect position to pursue our dream of sharing our recipes for what we know are the best pickles!"

The name of the business itself, the women tell blogTO, is inspired by their friendship, too.

"The word 'cheeky' reminds us of ourselves," they say, "playful, amusing and very often at times saucy and bold."

Not unlike, in fact, the pickles they create.

A selection of Cheeky Pickles' most popular offerings.

Elaine and Tracy admit, as nearly every small business owner would, that getting the pickle business off the ground was no small feat, being faced with what they call "typical" challenges; procuring products, finding the best local ingredients that matched their expectations for quality and getting into the general groove of running a business all posed difficulties at the start.

In spite of the challenges, though, the joy of being able to work alongside one's best friend more than makes up for it, they tell blogTO.

Perhaps most rewarding of all, they add, is watching people try a Cheeky Pickle for the very first time.

"Pickles make people happy," they say, "that feeling never gets old!"

Another challenge, albeit a positive one, Cheeky Pickles has been facing in recent times is trying to maintain their small-batch approach while fulfilling the growing demand for their one-of-a-kind preserves.

Rows of "East Coast," Jardinere-style mustard pickles, ready to be labeled at the Whitby facility.

Showcasing their briny beauties at a selection of food festivals and markets across Ontario year-round, Cheeky Pickles will soon find themselves in the Big Smoke setting up shop as vendors at Picklefest, Canada's largest pickle festival, this October.

You'll be able to get your hands on seven different flavours of Cheeky Pickles at the event, held at Henderson Brewing this Oct 5 and 6, including one "secret" limited-edition varietal made specifically for the festival, as well as Cheeky Pickles merchandise!

Beyond Picklefest, you can easily learn more about Cheeky Pickles through their website, and order your very own by visiting their Instagram account and sending them a message.