Business TheReview Wednesday, March 21, 1990 — AI13 SUS CSS a ‘Have your cake — and low calg by Valorie Lennox The Review A slice of rich cheesecake, tarter sauce for fish or creamy dip is only a dream for the cholesterol and calorie conscious — unless they’ve been hooked by Miss Muf- fet’s Yogurt Cheese. @ ‘There’s no trick to making a food product taste good if you add a lot of rich ingredients,” says Marge Tod-Smith, who started making yogurt years ago and pro- gressed to making yogurt cheese. “Fat is a cheap commodity,” she adds. But making a cheesecake at 150 calories a slice — that’s the trick that has brought Sidney-based Miss Muffet’s Yogurt Cheese Ltd. customers that are more like fans. “The cheesecakes are selling like crazy. That’s because they a laste rich and they re not,” says Alison Tod. “People can’t believe it.” Since starting the company in December 1987, the mother and daughter team have marketed yogurt cheese through their Sidney outlet and expanded distribution to stores throughout the Island. ‘The cheesecakes are selling like crazy. That’s because fhey faste rich and they're nor’ & A growing list of restaurants are offering products based on yogurt cheese as a low-fat alternative for | pines. Still, Alison and Marge have yet to pull a salary out of the business. » Alison’s husband, Ian Cracknell, supports the family with a job ina manufacturing company and turns up at the shop on weekends to help. Alison says Marge first made yogurt cheese as a way of getting her children to eat yogurt. rs “T wanted to eat yogurt for the health of it,” Marge says. “It was just another method of using yogurt.” Believing people are looking for low-fat, healthy food alternatives and urged by friends to start the business, Alison convinced Marge to sell her home in Saskatoon and K join the couple in Sidney. Bigger superhost This spring, B.C. hospitality industry employees will be able to learn how to deal with visitors _ from Asia. The provincial Super- *é Host program will be expanded to include study material developed by the Asia Pacific Initiative (API) for the specific purpose of prop- erly treating Asian visitors to Brit- ish Columbia. API is a private-sector advisory | group funded in part by the provin- cial and federal governments. Study material for the “Asian Extension” of the SuperHost pro- gram consists of a handbook for instructors and a manual for par- ticipants. The material has already been pilot-tested in a number of B.C communities during the last three months. Every day they produce 120 litres of fresh yogurt from skim milk. To make yogurt cheese, they slowly drain out the whey from the yogurt and press the curds, reduc- ing 800 grams of yogurt to 150 grams of cheese. “Tt takes a long time to make it,” Marge says. The resultmmg product is less than one per cent fat, 16 per cent protein and 76 per cent moisture. The texture is similar to cream cheese, but without the 30 per cent fat which cream cheese contains. Although most of their business is wholesale, they sell yogurt cheese spreads, cheesecakes and bulk yogurt cheese in their Sidney shop. Customers can bring their Own containers to reduce the cost. cheese production while Alison, who worked for a food brokerage firm in eastern Canada, handles the marketing. Both work to develop recipes in which the yogurt cheese substitutes for cream cheese, sour cream or may- onnaise. So far their recipe sheet includes suggestions for dips and rolls, a cucumber mousse, cheesecake, a vegetarian lasagna, salad dressings and tartar sauce. They give the whey to people interested in using the high protein liquid in baking or as a drink. They’ ve also developed a group of customers who rely on the product. A sign on a nearby store that was going out of business brought one customer rushing in to ensure Miss Muffet’s was not affected. i “We have people terrified that GUILT-FREE CHEESECAKE made with low-fat yogurt cheese Is we will go out of business,” sampled by (left to right) Alison Tod and Marge Tod-smith of Alison says. Miss Muffets Yogurt Cheese. This summer they hope to add frozen yogurt, mixed with fresh fruit, to their products. Marge oversees the yogurt letter from Terry Huberts Dear Constituents: After careful consideration and discussion with my family, friends, and supporters, I have decided not to seek re-election asa Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Wels Clxei — sion was not an easy one to reach, but it is what I believe to be best for my family, myself, and the constituency. For the past three and a half years I have had the privilege Of representing you, the constituents of Saanich and the Islands as one of your M.L.A.s; during this time I was also privileged to serve the people of our Province as a Minister of State and Minister Responsi- ble for Parks. These responsibilities were undertaken with a belief that every citizen should do what he or she can to contribute to the life of the community around them. This I have done with pleasure. However, I also believe in the importance of family life — in the values which can only be transmitted within a loving home environ— ment. My two boys are at an age when I feel they need to see their father much more than they have in these past years. I do not believe that I can offer them the family life I would want, while seeking re-election to an office which demands such commitment of time and energy. Although I will continue to serve you as your M.L.A. WHE ieMnS next general election, Iwant totakethis opportunity to thank all of you for your support and confidence. Many of you have given freely of your time, talents and energy to ass ist me during these past three and a half years. Your love and support made this decision all the more difficult to reach. However, I trust that you will understand my decision not to seek re-election. Please be assured that I will continue to fulfill my responsibilities to all of you, and be available for you in the months ahead. Yours Sincerely, Terry Huberts, MLA