Greg Brooks — The Peppermaster

A Lifetime of Flavour

Greg Brooks made his first hot sauce when he was eight years old. Even then, he wasn’t chasing heat — he was chasing flavour. Deep, layered, expressive flavour. He worked with ingredients the way a musician works with instruments, listening to their personalities and coaxing out what each one wanted to become.

By 1971, Greg was already producing pepper sauces for restaurants and caterers, quietly becoming the first person in Canada to make and sell hot sauce commercially.

The Appletree Landing — A 24‑Year‑Old Restaurateur

At just 17, Greg opened his own restaurant in Canning, Nova Scotia: The Appletree Landing. There, he refined the culinary philosophy that still defines Peppermaster today:

• flavour first
• ingredients with integrity
• no shortcuts
• food that respects people and the environment

His sauces became a signature of the restaurant, and word spread.

Constant Creation Gourmet Cuisine — The 1980s Era

In the early 1980s, Greg launched Constant Creation Gourmet Cuisine, a dessert‑sauce line that also included several early hot sauces:

• Fusion Fire From Within
• Hurricane Mash
• Jerk Curry

He sold them in jars at craft fairs, markets, and even by early email orders — long before e‑commerce existed. We still have newsprint and cookbook references from that era, and some of those early customers remain loyal to this day.

From Constant Creation to Peppermaster

In 2003, Greg and Tina formalized the brand as Peppermaster, bringing decades of culinary experience into a new era.

In 2004, after a house fire destroyed their home, they rebuilt their lives and their business inside the now‑iconic two‑story brownstone — the same building that houses the licensed kitchen and manufacturing facility today.

Brooks Pepperfire Foods — The Manufacturer Behind the Magic

Peppermaster is the brand. Brooks Pepperfire Foods is the engine.

Co‑founded by Greg and Tina, it is:

• a flavour-first Canadian artisanal food incubator
• a Canadian specialty food manufacturer
• a co‑packer for ethical, real‑food brands
• a champion of fresh‑pepper processing
• a supporter of small food entrepreneurs

Every Peppermaster product is made here, by hand, with Greg’s flavour‑first philosophy at the core.

The Mission Today — Fresh Food, Real People, Real Impact

Your work today is about more than hot sauce. It’s about building a local fresh food movement that:

• ensures access to real, fresh ingredients
• supports farmers and food producers
• protects the environment
• strengthens local food security
• keeps food honest

Peppermaster isn’t just a brand. It’s a commitment to people, peppers, and the planet.

The Peppermaster

Greg still works hands‑on, coaxing flavours from peppers the way he always has — with intuition, respect, and a little bit of magic.

He is not just a chef. He is not just a story. He is the Peppermaster.