Hervé 2022: High-End Luxury Edibles

DeliveryRank has the privilege of talking with Sam Rose, Director of Operations with Hervé. He gives us the lowdown on their amazing luxury, gluten free THC infused edibles. 

What spurred the creation of Hervé edibles and what challenges did you meet whilst growing the business?

It all started because we have a parent company in Toronto that does luxury entertaining and catering. Our clientele would often express their desire to have more cannabis focused products at these events. There was nothing on the market at this time that we would feel comfortable supplying to this type of clientele. However, it showed us that there was a demand, and particularly for those who enjoy the finer things in life.

We encountered numerous challenges, mostly of regulatory nature. For example, in Canada, what we wanted to do is not permitted by law, as our product is not fully shelf stable (as the macarons are a pastry, they require refrigeration and/or freezing). 

Due to the nature of our products, manning the supply chain all the way to the dispensaries - where we provide freezers - and ensuring educational support behind the scenes is key to the success of these products.

Would you say that you cater for a particular niche - chic edibles?

Our macarons are definitely more of a niche product. To compare with alcohol, you wouldn’t crack open your Chateau Lafite Rothschild on a daily basis, you would save it for a special occasion. The same goes for our macarons. Similarly, they may make a nice gift when invited somewhere in lieu of gifting a bottle of wine, or it may be something to share on a date with your loved one…

We do understand, of course, that there is a higher price point per milligram and that this will undoubtedly not be your everyday edible but rather for the special occasion and elevated experience.

What can you tell us about the ingredients and manufacturing of your products?

The macarons come in four standard flavors. The filling contains the flavor and the infusion. The shells are made at a Toronto patisserie by a French chef who has been making macarons for over fifteen years. We use only the best ingredients and I sincerely believe that Hervé macarons are among the best out there, if not better, in terms of taste and texture, whether infused or not. 

There is absolutely no cannabis taste in our macarons and this is very rare to find. Often, when it comes to edibles, there is often a bitter, distillate taste which manifests along the tongue and, at the back of the mouth particularly, and which lingers longer than it should. 

We have spent a lot of time on the macaron shells which, generally speaking and more often than not, are too sweet. The filling is 100% vegan, and infused delicately with our four flavors. The shells are unfortunately not vegan but we are hoping to change this in the near future. We try to minimize sugar and try to use as few ingredients as possible. We believe we offer a top of the range, superior product.

Do you believe that this is just the beginning of edibles as a culture?

Absolutely! We see consumption lounges opening up more and more (Southern and Northern California…). This is a really nice space where we will start to see greater clarity on what edibles can be. 

There are Crazy Cannabis Chef events that take place which are incredibly popular. If we are able to continue to grow this and think of anything as a potential edible, there are no limits. Anything can be infused, not just chocolate brownies and gummies.

I think regulation needs to catch up in order to make people comfortable with this idea and equally education is key. Educating people how to consume these products correctly is of priority. Most people have some understanding of where their limits are and how their body reacts to certain substances (caffeine, alcohol). This is slightly different with edibles and some adjusting is needed. 

‘How high for high cheap’ is in the past - price per milligram is certainly not the only factor taken into consideration in any industry - aroma, taste and smell, amongst others, are all considered when it comes to edibles, as when selecting alcohol, chocolate or coffee for example.

What other products do you provide?

We are really excited about our product The Mirage which comes in three flavors in California (sour watermelon, sour cherry and peppermint). The dispenser looks like a lipstick and inside there are hard candy inserts. Each insert is 5 pieces - 25mg for the whole stick, 5mg per piece - so it is a lower dose compared to the macarons which are 10mg each. There are four in a pack and the inserts can simply be replaced once finished. 

It is a vegan, sugar free, gluten free and less than two calorie product. We have used high quality ingredients through and through. We use live resin for the cannabis input which is a superior quality product and can really deliver on sensations such as relief, relaxation, happiness, euphoria. Often with products that use distillates, the THC can cause more of an anxious or cloudy-headed high. 

How do you guarantee sales to over 21’s only?

We work with extremely robust dispensary channels and direct to consumer channels. There are stringent ID checks involved with dispensaries and the same applies for the direct to consumer channels which sometimes require the upload of multiple pieces of identification. 

We have claims on our marketing materials and packaging. We do everything to ensure that the produce is consumed safely and by people of age.

Plans for the near future?

One thing is for sure, we are definitely staying in the edibles space. In addition, we are currently  developing some beverage tablets and are looking to explore the topical space as we feel most topicals are somewhat inefficient. 

We are in fact working with some pretty impressive technology that was originally used for sunscreen and has now been adopted for cannabis which helps the absorption rate of the THC and CBD into your system. This means the consumer is actually getting the relief they are paying for. Higher doses, higher frequency and better absorption technology is where we will start to realize the benefits of these cannabinoids. Here’s to flying high!

Want to know more about Hervé visit https://hervedibles.com/ or follow on Instagram @hervedibles