Erin Ireland

Name: Erin Ireland

Tell us about how you got started.

A volleyball scholarship led me to university in South Carolina where I studied Mass Communication (focus broadcasting). My goal was to work in sports broadcasting, but when I returned to Vancouver and began working at CTV News, I realized I was passionate about sports that weren’t big in our city. My focus switched to broadcasting and I began hosting a small entertainment news magazine show called FMA Weekly on KVOS. During my two seasons with the show, it was clear that my favorite interview were spent speaking with chefs, and I realized that my passion (food & dining) could become my absolute focus. I moved on from the show and launched itstodiefor.ca. My goal was to write professionally for newspapers or magazine and luckily I soon found gigs writing a weekly column (“Lunch Rush”) for Metro Newspaper and a monthly column (“To Die For Faces”) for Vancouver View Magazine. During my outings as a food reporter I began gifting friends and colleagues with my homemade banana bread. Word spread on Twitter and I began receiving daily requests for the bread. Soon I realized a major opportunity had presented itself. To Die For Fine Foods was born. One banana bread vendor cafe (Commune Cafe) became four, and a 15 months later there are 38 locations selling my banana bread. It’s been a dream to work in the food industry like this – I feel lucky every day.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Baking & testing new flavours, of course! In the works is a Brandied Banana Bread. My mom came up with the idea. She called me one day sounding very excited, “I’ve had an epiphany!” she said. It was the Brandied BB. I’ve since tested the adult-friendly recipe – it’s a winner in our books.

Tell us one of the coolest things that’s happened in your career so far.

Michelin star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten tried my banana bread and said he loved it. He made the ‘to die for face’, too (this is a term I’ve coined that signifies that expression we all make at the taste of to die for food).

Here’s a video of him tasting the bread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLPFlhC4d-U

What’s coming up for you that you’re excited about?

This year I’m launching a To Die For Christmas Box, which will contain several of my favorite locally made products (including the banana bread).

Also coming up is the launch of a food reporting series I did for The Vancouver Sun – we featured a few of the best food trucks in Vancouver.

What advice do you have for someone wanting to start down your path?

Ignore anyone who says it will be impossible or who tells you the industry is saturated. Every industry is ‘saturated’ and there’s no reason you shouldn’t work in the industry you’re passionate about.

Be different and trust your gut. If you get advice that just doesn’t feel right – do your own thing.

Ask for advice from your idols. Most likely they’d be delighted to help. If they don’t respond to you at first, follow up with an email. Be persistent because it’s YOUR job to make it happen.

For more info:

Website: itstodiefor.ca

Instagram: @erinireland