Elora's Feed The Bear Pasta Co. focuses on nutrient-rich pasta

It was a cold and frigid winter. As the ice melted, a bear and her cubs step out into the fresh and crisp air, with only one thing top-of-mind – food. But not just any food. Pasta. And lots of it!

Imagining this story while camping out west with his sister, Alec Jones of Elora noticed all the campgrounds in British Columbia have signs that say 'don't feed the bears.'

In 2021, Feed The Bear Pasta Co. was born.

Jones will never pass up the chance to make a high protein mix of fusilli noodles, with spirulina and lions mane, smothered in a meaty bolognese sauce for his family and friends.

"I love cooking for everyone. Before I could even reach the stove, I would push the stool over so that I could reach the pot of macaroni, and make my own alfredo sauce, at 10 years old," Jones said.

"I have worked in a ton of kitchens in my young adult life to help pay for university. This was a side hustle at first, a hobby. I didn't really have any huge goals for this. I was just feeding friends on weekend getaways and shipping to athletes, friends and family."

Crafted in Elora, Feed The Bear Pasta Co. specializes in high-protein noodles made using Canadian durum semolina and honey produced by Ontario farmers.

"Well, I'm not Italian. For me, as a high-energy, active, athletic person, I was never into the healthier pasta options. I was always looking for another source of protein, for ingredients to increase the nutritional value. I found myself obsessed with it," Jones said.

"I thought how can I create nutrient-rich pasta that still has the texture and taste that fresh pasta has?"

Slow dried for a minimum of 28 hours, Feed The Bear Pasta Co. is packed with high-protein ingredients such as spirulina, butterfly pea and lions mane mushroom extract.

"I find that there's a demand here for nutrient-rich pasta, whether it's vegetarians, athletes or just picky eaters. It is a new niche for kids who don't want to eat steak or vegetables," Jones said.

"What is unique, is that I create these signature colours. There are pastas out there made with lentils, chickpeas or buckwheat, but I just don't get the satisfaction from the texture or taste of those."

Jones began to research and look for more natural sources of protein, iron and fibre.

"I infuse it into the pasta, with the addition of some unique shapes like campanelle, which is a bell flower shape, and I have square spaghetti too," Jones said.

Feed The Bear Pasta Co. pasta is cut with premium bronze dies from Italy.

"It's a circular piece of bronze that the pasta is pushed through and cuts it's shape. Bronze leaves a duller cut. It's almost a sandpapery finish on the pasta which you can feel when you touch it. And that enables the sauce to really cling to the noodle better," Jones said.

"Chefs are also really amazed at how much quicker my pasta cooks than anything from a factory."

Jones said that's partly because of the bronze cut, as well as his slow drying technique.

"I like to dry it for about for about 28 hours. Factories mass produce as quickly as possible and then dehydrate the pasta in a low heat oven in order to quickly dry and process it," Jones said.

"I try to maintain the purity and keep the texture and taste of fresh pasta, then dry it, package it and get it out to the people that want it."

What does the coloured pasta taste like?

"They are all neutral. The red beet root, blue spirulina, yellow samolina, they all taste largely the same,' Jones said.

"This started by accident when I mixed two colours together, and now one of my best sellers is a mixed colour bag that I call rainbow pasta. You get a variety all in one bag."

Unsure parents can read the nutrition table, see all the ingredients, and know there are no artificial dyes or colours in the pasta, he said.

"I am having an increasing demand for gluten-free. I've been working in the lab for the last few months to put together a non-meat option for these individuals and we are going to release that probably next month," Jones said.

Originally from Sarnia, Jones, 33, attended Western University in London before settling in Elora for the past eight years.

"My mom is huge supporter. I could not do any of this without my mom. I call her 'mama bear'. And I have a couple friends as well who have been very vital in helping me grow and to make smart decisions," Jones said.

This year, Jones has been making his rounds at local farmers' markets including those in Elora, Rockwood and Guelph.

For more information or to order pasta from Feed the Bear Pasta Co., visit here, Instagram or Jones said, people can drop by a local market.

They will be at the Elora Farmer's Market Nov. 23 and 30, the Holiday Market at Bingemans in Kitchener on Dec. 1 and the Old School House in Guelph on Dec.7.

Jones said he will hibernate with a few ideas for the future over the winter.

"I'm having talks now, and next year, we will be coming to some grocery stores. I want to get in to doors in Fergus and Elora. This wasn't about getting into big grocery store chains. But they are starting to call now. So, I will make that decision this winter," Jones said.

"It's great when your mom and your best friend tell you how great the pasta is, but it's not the same as a complete stranger. I love the smile on people's faces when they come back and say this was the best pasta they've ever had."