What do cookies and hockey have in common? If you ask 23 & Co. founder Krista Gill, the answer is: “Everything!”

For years, Krista made a pre-game ritual of baking cookies before her husband played hockey. This might not provide the average person with enough practice to become a cookie baker par excellence, but in Krista’s case, her husband is Todd Gill, a former professional hockey player who spent 19 years in the NHL. Krista baked her cookies as a pre-game snack for birthday and team parties, showers, and charity events, imagining that she could turn baking into a career of her own one day when her husband retired.

Eventually, the day came when Todd retired, and the Gills stopped travelling from city to city for games. Now that their four kids are grown, Krista has made the big leap and turned her dream into a reality, starting 23 & Co. cookie company in her hometown of Lake Opinicon, ON. In a clever and charming marketing play, Krista has named her cookie flavours with a nod to their origins in hockey, including “the OG,” “the B’rookie,” and “He shoots, He Skors.”

Mrs. McGarrigle’s “Meet the Maker” series celebrates local food producers who care about making high-quality food products with locally and/or ethically sourced ingredients. We are proud to carry these products at Mrs. McGarrigle’s and to uplift our local economy.