Fifteen years ago, Klondike Kettle Corn popped its very first kernels at the Fireweed Community Market in Whitehorse, Yukon. Back then, we had just one flavour—our now-iconic Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn—and a simple goal: make fresh popcorn that people love, and connect with the community that made it all possible.
That market wasn’t just where our business started—it’s where our values took root.
Giving Back to the Market That Started It All
After a few seasons as a vendor, I was invited to put my name forward to serve on the board of the Fireweed Community Market. It felt like the perfect way to give back to the place that gave me my start.
One of our first board initiatives was encouraging vendors to source ingredients from each other. It was all about keeping value—and flavour—circulating locally. That challenge inspired me to get creative with popcorn in a whole new way.
From One Classic to Many Local-Inspired Recipes
At first, we only made our Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn, and I was hesitant to branch out. But with a background working in kitchens since I was 16, the idea of experimenting with new flavours quickly caught my imagination.
I started with herbs from the market: dill for our first Dill Pickle Popcorn and chives for our Harvest Cheddar Popcorn. From there, we grew our lineup with ingredients from other Yukon businesses—like infused olive oils from Cultured Fine Cheese and bold local flavours like birch syrup, cranberries, and spruce tips.
Community Collaboration Is Still at Our Core
Although we’ve scaled some recipes and can’t always source ingredients locally, the spirit of collaboration is still baked into everything we do. We love supporting local events and have even started a sponsorship program for young athletes who inspire our community.
We also work with local creatives—from photographers to marketers—because we believe growing together is how community-based businesses thrive.
Two Signature Yukon-Inspired Flavours
Today, two of our most popular popcorns are deeply rooted in the Yukon:
🌲 Spruce Tip Popcorn
Hand-foraged each spring by Ash—who’s been with Klondike Kettle Corn since 2019—this flavour uses wild spruce tips blended with lemon-infused olive oil for a bright, citrusy crunch. It’s a true taste of northern springtime.
🍁 Birch Caramel Corn
Sourced directly from Uncle Berwyn’s Birch Syrup Farm in Northern Yukon, this dark and rich caramel corn celebrates one of the territory’s most unique forest ingredients. There is a limited supply of birch syrup so we savour some in the spring, when the birch syrup is harvested, and save some for our Christmas season. There’s nothing else like it!
Why “Local” Still Matters
For us, “local” means more than where ingredients come from—it means honouring the people, places, and partnerships that helped us grow. From one bag of kettle corn at a farmers’ market to delivering Yukon-made popcorn across Canada, we’re proud to share a little piece of the North in every bite.
Ready to try our local-inspired favourites?
👉 Shop Spruce Tip Popcorn
👉 Shop Birch Caramel Corn
