Calgary’s gain is… Edmonton’s gain?
For years, Steve Furgiuele has been Edmonton’s version of Abe Froman. (And, if you didn’t know that “Abe Froman” is synonymous with “sausage king,” you need to rewatch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.) He’s made sausages from scratch that are featured on the menu at Otto Food and Drink, and he’s also been seen at many farmers’ markets across the area.
But Furgiuele is making a life change, looking to move outside of the food industry. So, he’s moving to Calgary.
But the sausages will survive and thrive. Through a partnership with Gavin Fedorak and Braede Harris, the owners of LOVEPIZZA, the sausages will be available through the new Fuge Sausage brand. And, yes, they’ll still be available at Otto.
Fedorak says that he and Harris have been a fan of Furgiuele’s fare for more than five years. They met him at the 124th Street Farmers’ Market, and were hooked.
“We tried a couple of packages, and we came back every week,” says Fedorak.
“And we started talking to Steve, about his big ideas, his flavours and why he does it,” says Harris. “He was just very open, and it was easy to get to know him.”
And the sausage made appearances on LOVEPIZZA’s pies, from a lamb merguez pizza to an Otto pizza.
“When we found out Steve was moving, we were legitimately sad,” says Harris.
In the spring, Furgiuele and Fedorak conversed via text message about how the sausage maker was looking to make a move and change careers.
“And then I texted him and said ‘why don’t we buy the sausage business?’ And then we went from there. Within a day or two, all three of us had a plan together, we knew what we needed to do.”
“For us, it’s so special for someone to trust us,” says Harris. “For Steve, we know how special this is, it’s something he learned from his father and his grandmother. For me, that’s the biggest compliment.”
LOVEPIZZA has a commissary kitchen on the south side, where dough is prepped for the restaurants across the area. Harris and Fedorak also have a refrigerated van, to ship said ingredients from the shared kitchen to the different LOVEPIZZA locations. They had space to add a sausage-making facility, and the refrigerated truck means they can do delivery service. Furgiuele will stay on as a consultant.
Customers in Edmonton, St. Albert, Spruce Grove and Sherwood Park can order online, and have sausages delivered on Tuesdays, via that refrigerated van.
Fedorak says the sausages will also be available for pick up on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the retail space at the LOVEPIZZA kitchen at 6736 99 St.
“It’s probably the easiest shopping experience ever, they’re in and out in 30 seconds, and they got Fuge,” says Fedorak.
Ocean Odyssey Inland in West Edmonton is also stocking Fuge Sausage, and Harris and Fedorak are working on other vendors.
