Nancy Shaw and Al Bourbouhakis launched Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co. when Al worked as a sous chef at a restaurant owned by Nancy. A local pepper farmer sold them the remainder of his crop and they spent months learning to ferment as a means of preservation. 

And they fell in love with the red habanero sauce they made.

That was back in 2015 and now the Thunder Bay, Ontario brand has an expansive line of hot sauces, including limited editions and three that have featured on Hot Ones.

All of the products are made with fermented peppers using traditional methods. There is no added water, thickening agents nor any chemical preservatives. Everything is also developed, cooked, bottled, packaged and distributed from their dedicated facility in South Core.

One of the brand's prized possessions is Poirier's Louisiana Style, a collaboration with UFC fan favourite Dustin Poirier and an ode to the sports star's Lafayette roots, which is available on House of Habanero, alongside a Creole maple version and the delicious Camp Sauce, Heartbeat's love letter to summers spent camping in northwestern Ontario.

Heartbeat is now on a mission to get their sauces into as many hands as possible, without jeopardising the integrity of their small-batch process.