In anticipation of delivering nearly 600 bottles of mead to a Renaissance fair in New Brunswick, Nova Scotians Connor and Maria Jeffreys from Fireside Meadery encountered a regulatory obstacle. The New Brunswick Crown-run liquor retailer, ANBL, intended to significantly increase the price of their product, resulting in a hefty markup that inflated the original $11,300 order to around $25,000. This forced the Shediac Renaissance Faire to scale back their purchase to only 240 smaller bottles, causing a substantial financial setback for the Jeffreys’ growing business.
Mead, known as the oldest alcoholic beverage globally, is crafted using water, honey, and yeast, with the option to include fruits and spices. Fireside Meadery, which consistently sells out of its batches, is currently self-funding an expansion into a larger facility, making each lost sale particularly impactful.
Despite the professionalism of ANBL staff, Maria Jeffreys described receiving the official markup quote as disheartening. Sébastien Després, the executive producer of the Shediac Renaissance Faire, emphasized the importance of supporting Atlantic Canadian products and expressed dismay at the excessive markup, highlighting the need for improved cooperation among Maritime provinces to navigate economic challenges.
While Després intends to feature Fireside’s mead at future events, he hopes to see barriers like these eliminated. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston expressed concern over the situation, emphasizing the need to address bureaucratic hurdles that hinder economic progress within the country.
In contrast, Nova Scotia’s Crown-run liquor retailer, the NSLC, clarified that if the scenario were reversed, a Nova Scotia festival could directly purchase alcohol from a New Brunswick producer without intermediaries. This streamlined process would involve the producer paying a modest retail sales markup allocation to the NSLC, promoting smoother interprovincial trade practices.
Looking ahead, the Jeffreys advocate for collaborative efforts to dismantle interprovincial trade barriers and support local businesses across provinces to foster collective growth and prosperity.
