Celebrating the 2025 Cohort of Dream Cuisines at Vancouver Farmers Markets
At Vancouver Farmers Markets, we’re thrilled to introduce the 2025 cohort of Dream Cuisines, a powerful initiative from Flavours of Hope. This non-profit social enterprise that envisions newcomer women flourishing and experiencing belonging through cooking, storytelling, community-building, and entrepreneurship. The program helps them to break down barriers of being immigrant women of color and earn an income of dignity while sharing the rich culinary traditions of their home countries.
Flavours of Hope provides these talented women with the skills, knowledge, and community connections to bring their food dreams to life. Coho Commissary, the program’s long-standing kitchen partner, offers commercial space for these budding entrepreneurs, while Vancouver Farmers Markets proudly provides them with a platform to sell their goods and connect directly with our vibrant local community.
Now in it’s fifth year, this year’s Dream Cuisines cohort showcases the diverse and delicious flavors from around the world, with four incredible women-led businesses ready to share their culinary heritage. Let’s meet the 2025 cohort:
Teque Love Venezuelan Bites | Claudia Alejandra Ilarraza from Venezuela
Claudia brings the true essence of Venezuelan tequeños to your table—a beloved cheese snack that represents celebration, tradition, and a love for great food. Tequeños are more than just an appetizer; they are a staple of Venezuelan culture, always present at gatherings, parties, and special moments.
Dulce Zaza | María Yvett Cueto from Peru
Maria is the talented baker behind a culinary journey that celebrates the warmth of home and the joy of shared memories. Her passion for dessert-making is rooted in her childhood memories of baking with her cousins. Her goal is to evoke feelings of warmth, comfort, and togetherness with every dessert she creates. Maria offers a variety of Peruvian desserts including alfajores, lime pies and Chocolucuma Lava cake.
Angeliz Colombian Food | Liza Riascos from Colombia
Liza brings the vibrant flavours of Colombia to the table, blending traditional family recipes with her own creative twists. She makes different kinds of empanadas and arroz con leche (rice pudding) and shares bold, delicious flavours that showcase the warmth and spirit of Colombian cuisine.
Ruka Cocina | Rocio Valderas from Chile
Specializing in Chilean-inspired empanadas and baked goods, Rocio draws inspiration from her heritage and upbringing in Southern Chile, where food played a central role in family and community celebrations. Rocio is passionate about sharing the flavours and traditions of Chilean cuisine while incorporating local and seasonal ingredients. For her, food is a universal language that connects people and cultures.
Dream Cuisines: A Community Effort
Come on down, support these amazing women, and treat yourself to flavors from around the world – all while shopping local and making a difference in the lives of our Dream Cuisines cohort. We can’t wait to see their culinary dreams take shape and the impact they’ll make in our community.
Check out the Markets Schedule for the 2025 Cohort:
About the Program
Dream Cuisines is empowering & equipping newcomer women entrepreneurs to make a living by doing what they excel at: cooking and sharing food! This 9-month immersive program addresses systemic barriers in the food industry, providing women with access to educational workshops, peer knowledge sharing, commissary kitchen space, sales channels, and a network of supportive relationships.
