Spice Up Wintertime with Small-Batch Salsas

Often a small-business food producer begins by making gifts for friends and family and takes off from there. So it was for Trafford Kane—co-owner and chef at Trafford Restaurant in Warren from 2011 to 2014—who began to turn out jams, jellies and finally salsas to thank his daughter Julia’s teachers. Their enthusiasm pushed him forward. He hit the farmers market in Attleboro in the summer of 2018, and he’s never looked back. Even the restrictive Covid months gave him time to market Kane’s Kitchen small-batch salsas to markets (currently, approximately 65) in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and establish larger accounts with Boston Children’s Hospital and the North Kingstown School District. He began with a mild version, then graduated to medium, hot and the traditional corn-and-bean flavors. For a summer salsa, along came grilled pineapple, and the fall season brought an apple variation, both now customer favorites. Kane’s biggest surprise has been how much he enjoys interacting with people: “As I grow [the business], I will always do farmers markets!” He’s considering online ordering or even a different product, but for now he thinks it will be another salsa.

Look for Kane’s salsas in area markets and find a store locator at Kanes-Kitchen.com.