Every kitchen has its rhythm: the gentle hiss of oil, the aroma of spices blooming in a pan, the quiet hum of hands working in sync. At Nana’s Kitchen, that rhythm is our heartbeat. People often tell us,
“Your samosas taste the same every time. How do you do it?”
It’s one of our favorite questions because the answer goes far beyond recipes or processes. It’s about care turned into consistency, the same care that started in a small Burnaby restaurant and now reaches homes and food counters across North America.
Behind every perfectly crisp samosa and every flavorful kathi roll lies a story of tradition, precision, and an unwavering promise: to bring the comfort of homemade food to every dining table.
So, come on in, step behind our kitchen counter, and see how heart and science work side by side to make every bite memorable.
Cooking with Heart: The “Just-Like-Home” Way
Our founder, Shelina Mawani, always says:
“If you wouldn’t serve it to your own family, it doesn’t leave the kitchen.”
That belief shapes everything we do.When Nana’s Kitchen first came to life in a tiny Burnaby kitchen, there were no corporate food systems, just Shelina, a few helping hands, and a dream to share the flavors of home with her community. Each samosa was folded by hand with patience, precision, and pride – the same way her own mother did.
Even as we’ve grown into a state-of-the-art, BRCGS-certified facility, that spirit hasn’t changed. We’ve simply found ways to scale the art of homemade cooking without losing what makes it special.
Because when food feels like home, it tastes like home.
Small Batches, Big Flavor
In the food industry, “mass production” often means compromise. But at Nana’s, it means mastery.
We still cook in small batches. Not to follow a trend, but to make sure every spice blooms the way it should. Smaller batches let us let us perfect texture, timing, and temperature.. Each batch is mixed, cooked, and cooled in carefully timed cycles so the pastry stays tender, not dry, and the filling holds its flavor.
Our samosas, rolls, and toasties are still hand-folded, not machine-pressed. Every fold, seal, and edge is shaped by people who understand that what they’re creating isn’t just food. It’s a reflection of tradition.
That’s why our pastry flakes just right, the filling tastes balanced, and the spices hit the same comforting notes every single time.
Quality Starts Long Before the Cooking
Consistency begins with what comes through our doors..
We source fresh vegetables, whole spices, and high-quality proteins from trusted partners who share our values. Every delivery is checked for color, texture, and aroma, because freshness can’t be faked.
Once inside our facility, ingredients follow a strict quality control path: stored at exact temperatures, washed and prepped under the careful supervision of our quality assurance team.
We don’t rely on artificial flavoring or fillers. The warmth you taste comes from roasted cumin, hand-peeled potatoes, real ginger, and carefully marinated chicken.
When you bite into a Nana’s samosa and think, This tastes real, that’s because it is.
Safety You Can Taste
For Nana’s kitchen, food safety isn’t another item to tick off a checklist, it’s a promise.
Our kitchen is CFIA-inspected, HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point), and BRCGS-certified, which means every step (from cooking temperatures to packaging) meets global food-safety standards.
Those acronyms might sound technical to most food lovers, but what they mean is simple: peace of mind. Whether you’re a mom reheating lunch for your kids or a food service partner preparing trays for hundreds of guests.
Each batch is tested, logged, and traceable. We can tell you exactly where your food came from, when it was sealed, and how it was handled because accountability has flavor, too.
The Science Behind the Nostalgic Taste
Comfort food feels emotional, but it’s also beautifully scientific.
We work with food technologists and flavor specialists who help us perfect spice ratios, moisture levels, and texture. Even a few seconds of difference in cooking time can affect the taste. So we measure, monitor, and record every ingredient..
Our samosa pastry, for example, goes through a carefully monitored resting phase to achieve that signature crispness. Our fillings are mixed using time-controlled tumbling to distribute spices evenly.
And before anything leaves our kitchen, it’s tasted by real people (our sensory panel) to make sure the “Nana’s taste” stays true across every batch.
That’s how you turn family recipes into professional consistency without losing soul.
The People Who Make It Happen
When people think of food manufacturing, they often imagine machines and conveyor belts. Walk into our facility, and you’ll hear laughter, conversation, and the steady rhythm of people who love what they do.
Our team includes chefs, technicians, and kitchen staff, many of whom began in small kitchens like Shelina’s first restaurant. Some have been with us for over a decade. They know the recipes by heart, not just by chart.
We call them the heart of our kitchen.
Every person in our kitchen is trained not just in how to do their job, but why it matters; why a fold must be perfect, why a spice needs time to bloom, why temperature checks equal consistent quality.
Because when you work with heart, precision follows naturally.
Tradition That Embraces Innovation
We may be steeped in tradition, but we’re not afraid to innovate.
From air-frying adaptations to global flavor fusions, we’re constantly experimenting and finding modern ways to honor old recipes.
Our research & development team explores natural methods to extend freshness, improve packaging, and enhance texture, all without compromising taste.. Our secret weapon? Flash-freezing technology. It locks in freshness at its peak, so when you reheat a Nana’s samosa, it tastes as though it just left the pan.
Innovation, for us, doesn’t mean replacing the old. It means protecting it with better tools.
Test, Taste, Trust
Every product we make goes through a three-part verification process before it’s approved for distribution:
- Quality testing: Checking temperature, texture, and filling ratios.
- Taste comparison: matching each batch to our “gold standard.”
- Packaging checks: making sure seals, labels, and weights are spot on.
If a batch doesn’t meet our internal benchmarks, we don’t ship it. Simple as that.
That’s how food made in Burnaby can taste exactly the same in Boston; one loving kitchen, one standard, one heart.
From Our Hands to Your Table – The Final Step
Once the food is prepared, tested, and flash-frozen, it’s packaged with care and sent to grocery retailers and food service partners across Canada and the U.S.
Our cold-chain logistics keep every item at the right temperature through every mile of travel. Whether it lands in a supermarket or a café halfway across the country, it arrives exactly as it left our kitchen; fresh, safe, and ready to share.
For us, the moment you open a box of Nana’s appetizers is a continuation of the journey that started in our kitchen. It’s our story, passed along through food, a bridge between cultures, families, and tables.
The Promise That Keeps Us Grounded
Consistency isn’t a goal we check off a list, it’s a daily act of devotion.
We test, taste, and refine because we care about what ends up on your plate. We hold ourselves to the same standards we expect at home. We hold ourselves to the same standards we keep at home; love, discipline, and pride in every batch.
So, when you take that first bite – the crisp pastry, the warmth of the filling, the perfect balance of spice – you’re tasting more than just a recipe. You’re tasting trust, heritage, and heart working in harmony.
That’s our promise: quality you can taste, safety you can trust.
From Our Kitchen to Yours
Every morning, we start fresh; blending spices, folding dough, sealing flavor into each bite. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s meaningful. Because somewhere, someone will taste that food and feel a little closer to home.
And that’s what keeps us going.
At Nana’s Kitchen, we’re not just cooking. We’re continuing a legacy that is perfectly consistent, delicious bite at a time.
