About two years ago, Delaina Parker – who was then living in Alberta – found herself pining for rocks, lakes, and trees. At the same time, she wanted to start a business that would put her considerable culinary skills to good use. That’s when her idea of a meal delivery business was born.

“We ended up moving to a two-acre lakefront lot that’s surrounded by dense forest and the Canadian Shield just outside of Flin Flon,” she says. “It’s an amazing spot.”

It is where she now operates her business – fittingly called Untamed Acres.

Parker says the driving force behind her business was her grandmother.

“I’ve always remembered the feeling of being at her table, enjoying the meals she made. So, I’m now doing the same thing, in a way.”

What she is doing is preparing meals for people – busy families, empty nesters, widows/widowers, or singles – who want the convenience of a prepared meal but don’t want to go to a restaurant.

“Our menus launch at the end of each month,” she says. “The entrees vary, with each meal being prepared fresh. The meals are then frozen and vacuum-sealed. We send out 10 meals at a time.”

Those meals can be prepared in a slow cooker or heated up conventionally in an oven or microwave. Homemade-style soups can be simply thrown into a pot and heated up.

The idea behind the meals is simple, says Parker.

“We want our meals to be nutritious and comforting. Because they’re prepared in advance, they can provide families with more family time, allowing them to connect better. Less kitchen time equals more family time. I think the meals also create a feeling of contentment.”

Two years after starting Untamed Acres, the business is thriving.

“Right now, we deliver about 500 meals per month. I do most of the production and prep myself, but sometimes my husband and two kids get dragged into the kitchen to help.”

She adds that pre-made meals aren’t the only thing Untamed Acres offers.

“We also cater for small gatherings of under 50 and offer an Untamed Acres barbecue sauce that is featured with one meal. Then, there’s our Boreal Bigfoot Sauce, which is an homage to northern flavors. It’s our signature recipe, featuring a combination of blueberries and horseradish.”

It turns out Parker needed some help in launching the delicious sauce.

“We’d dabbled in some farmers’ markets but realized we needed help launching it. So, I enrolled in Food & Beverage Manitoba’s boot camp. It helped us come up with marketing ideas and create eye-catching labels that look good and meet government regulations. The connections we’ve developed with instructors and participants have also really helped.”

Now, with the Boreal Bigfoot Sauce on the go and a booming meal delivery service, Untamed Acres is in full-go mode, and Parker couldn’t be happier.

“We’re getting the Bigfoot sauce onto retail shelves at grocery stores and resorts, and one day we’d like to try to expand distribution to Winnipeg. It’s been a journey, but I’m really enjoying what I’m doing. I’ve gotten more out of the business than I ever expected.”

With the Boreal Bigfoot Sauce making its way onto retail shelves and a growing list of satisfied meal delivery customers, Delaina Parker is carving out her own niche in Northern Manitoba’s culinary scene. What began as a desire to return to nature and honor her grandmother’s cooking has transformed into a thriving business that brings people together through the comfort of good food.

As Parker continues to expand Untamed Acres, she’s not just feeding her community — she’s sharing a taste of her passion, one meal at a time.

Follow her on Instagram (@untamedacresff) and www.untamedacres.ca