Why now is the perfect time to embrace fundamental cooking skills
For over 30 years, Epicure was the face of home cooking in Canada. This Canadian company sold home kitchen products such as spice blends, meal kits, and kitchen tools designed to make cooking at home more convenient.
Epicure used a network marketing model similar to many household brands. However, unlike pyramid schemes, many of the independent consultants found success on multiple levels.
While the consultants made some money, Epicure’s impact went well beyond the bank for most. Epicure also created business opportunities for thousands of independent consultants, enabling them to generate income and build their ventures.
Many consultants considered the money secondary. They became able and confident business owners. Okay, they didn’t own Epicure, but they ran small home enterprises. I’ve known a few of these consultants, and they have genuinely flourished into fantastic entrepreneurs.
Part of Epicure’s success resulted from selling products that people loved. The products were primarily spice blends and meal solutions, but Epicure also delved into niche cookware and seemed to have a peculiar fetish for steamers, with at least five different models available.
Still, a significant part of Epicure’s success resulted from developing exceptional independent consultants. People loved the consultants as much, perhaps even more, than the products.
The consultants developed a strong sense of community among members. They shared their love for cooking and healthy eating while, of course, promoting Epicure’s product line. Unlike other brands, Epicure thrived on their dedicated consultants’ personal recommendations and experiential marketing.
But everything changed on January 24, 2025, when Epicure Canada announced they were closing shop permanently.
Encouraging people to cook at home.
Much of Epicure’s success came from its focus on easy home cooking. The company loved producing spice blends and meal kits, which its consultants would quickly turn into complete meals. They specialized in making home-cooked meals quickly and easily.
This simplified cooking process appealed to busy families who wanted to avoid restaurant food but did not want to spend too much time in the kitchen. In short, Epicure provided people with a structured way to prepare meals.
As a foodie, I appreciate how Epicure encouraged many to cook at home more frequently. But there is another side to this story.
A few months before Epicure announced their closing, I had coffee with a friend, and the subject turned to cooking. “This sucks,” he said. “Epicure has stopped selling their taco mix. Now I have to use the stuff from (brand X).”
I looked at him quizzically and asked, “Why don’t you make your own?” I couldn’t have shocked my friend more if I’d hit him with a bat!
“How the heck would I make taco mix?” He asked. Now, I was at a loss for words. “Surely,” I said, “you realize Epicure, Old El Paso, and McCormick just blend readily available spices and call it taco mix, right?”
Apparently, he didn’t.
I informed him that the ingredients in the Epicure blend would be clearly labeled, although they would not specify the exact quantities of each element. Still, the ingredients would be listed in descending order based on their relative amounts.
Now, we were both in awe. My friend couldn’t believe what I was saying was true, and I couldn’t believe he thought “Taco blend” was a single spice isolated from a taco plant found only in the jungles of Mexico.
While part of me loves services like Epicure, these businesses annoy another part. It is great that Epicure encourages people to cook but, unfortunately, doesn’t teach them how to cook. I suppose that is why they have five different steamers. Perhaps they convince people that fish from a square steamer tastes different than fish from a round steamer!
But in all seriousness, if you put your mind to cooking, you can recreate any dip, spice blend, or meal kit. The secret to a good dip isn’t a proprietary mix of seasonings but rather a balancing of acidity, salt, umami, and texture.
“But Epicure’s taco mix was perfect,” my friend said. “I would add it to ground beef, then add a lot of black pepper and Frank’s Red Hot for some kick. That’s it!”
“Now, wait a minute,” I said. “You add pepper and hot sauce to a perfect spice mix? It doesn’t sound perfect to me.”
A change in landscape
While I have no hard evidence, anecdotally, Epicure’s most popular products were its Taco Blend, its “3-Onion Dip Mix,” and its “Mac & Cheese Seasoning.” I’ve never used any of those products, but I’m confident I could easily make my own versions.
In fact, I don’t need a “Mac & Cheese Seasoning mix” at all, do I? There are hundreds of versions of Mac & Cheese, and most are delicious. Why would I limit myself to just one?
We may never know precisely what led to Epicure’s sudden closure, but it may be a long-lasting side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people had more time during lockdown, so they learned how to cook. Heck, that’s what I did!
There is an enormous market for cooking shows, videos, and blogs. People are interested in cooking, more so than just heating a meal. And I for one, think that’s wonderful.
Learning how to cook
I mentioned above that Epicure created more than consultants. It developed a wonderful group of business-savvy entrepreneurs. In the same way, learning to cook does more than feed your family. It builds confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
When you know how to cook, you aren’t intimidated by recipes or new ingredients. You start to understand how flavours balance. Rather than adding black pepper and Frank’s Red Hot to a perfect Taco Blend, you might use a higher ratio of cayenne pepper in your homemade mix.
You can taste a dish at a restaurant and have a good idea of how to make it at home. Oftentimes, you can make it better at home. This kind of confidence and self-sufficiency is something that no pre-packaged kit can provide.
Cooking is a valuable life skill that can be passed down through generations. While my mother was not in the least interested in cooking, some of my fondest childhood memories are from being in my paternal grandmother’s kitchen. I loved to see how the whole family got together to cook a large meal.
What if you were an Epicure fan?
I feel for those who have lost their jobs or side hustles due to Epicure’s closure. As I said, many people built businesses selling Epicure products. For them, this news is more than just an inconvenience — it’s a financial hit.
Still, many of these outstanding consultants have exceptional skills — skills they developed while working with Epicure. All is certainly not lost.
But at the same time, this is a wake-up call for home cooks everywhere: You don’t learn to cook from an envelope. You learn by practicing, staying curious, and experimenting.
So, if you were an Epicure fan, I urge you not to go out looking for the next Epicure-like company. Instead, take this opportunity to deep-dive into cooking. Learn the fundamentals. Experiment with your spice blends. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to fail.
You will undoubtedly produce a meal or two that doesn’t measure up. That is not a problem. Try again using a different spice mix. Remember, you’re not in this alone. I mentioned there is no end to online resources, including many food nerds on this platform.
If you’re looking for a challenge, try cooking something completely new at least once a week. If you like the result, make it part of your regular rotation. If you don’t, move on to the next dish.
What comes next?
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the idea of cooking from scratch, start small. Here’s my challenge to you. Pick one of your favourite Epicure meals or dips and try to recreate it from scratch. Look up the ingredients; I’m sure they’re online somewhere, and try to make your version.
Next, experiment with different spice proportions, taste as you go, and adjust to your liking. Eventually, you will produce something you like better than the original.
As for me, well, I wasn’t a user of Epicure products, but I’m keen to help everyone get over their loss. I’ve nearly completed a Cook-90 challenge. By the end of the challenge, I will have cooked 90 meals in 30 days. It’s not as challenging as it sounds. Remember, there are three meals in a day!
I’ll share my experiences shortly, and I’ll share every recipe over the next few months. I won’t say that I stole recipes, but all my recipes are inspired by others. Similarly, I encourage you to take my recipes and make them your own.