Vendor Spotlight: Cindy's Frozen Pizzas from Elgin Harvest

From the warmth of a wood-fired oven to the convenience of a freezer-ready favourite, Cindy Bircham has found a way to share her love of pizza in more than one way. Through Elgin Harvest and Cindy’s Frozen Pizzas, she brings together exceptional ingredients, local inspiration, and a passion for creating something truly unique. 

Cindy is a Red Seal Chef and graduate of Stratford Chefs School (2002), where she learned to cook with high-quality, fresh ingredients and to view food through a wide gastronomic lens. After moving back to Elgin County in 2007, she found herself frustrated by the lack of restaurants celebrating the incredible local produce grown right here in our region. “So I did what any can-doer does,” Cindy says, “I started my own garden, sourced out other local food lovers, tried to find kitchen space, and did my best to champion local food.”

Elgin Harvest began in 2011, offering preserves and baked goods made with locally sourced ingredients. But the road to today’s wood-fired pizzas wasn’t a straight one. During a break from cooking professionally, Cindy discovered a new hobby propagating succulent plants and creating vertical gardens - primarily sempervivum. She became a vendor at Horton Farmers’ Market selling her creations, but it wasn’t long before being surrounded by local farmers, food producers and artists reignited her passion for cooking. “Through a series of ups and downs, Elgin Harvest began and had a focus on preserving and baking,” Cindy says, “that eventually turned into a lot of fermenting (with produce from my own gardens) and baking sourdough breads and pastries. When the opportunity came along to bake sourdough breads in a mobile wood-fired oven, it was a dream come true.” That dream naturally evolved into pizza, and in 2015 Elgin Harvest began specializing in wood-fired sourdough pizzas. In 2022 the mobile wood-fired oven found its permanent home inside Elgin Harvest’s restaurant at 400 Sunset Drive. 

Today, customers can enjoy those same wood-fired sourdough pizzas in two ways. At Elgin Harvest, pizzas come hot out of the 100% wood-fired oven. At the Horton Farmers’ Market, Cindy offers her frozen pizzas - the very same recipes, just slightly smaller, vacuum sealed, and frozen so you can enjoy the restaurant-quality pizza at home. She explains, “frozen pizzas shouldn’t be a sacrifice meal for convenience alone - they can be exceptional and taste wonderful.”

Every pizza begins with a sourdough starter and is stretched, topped and baked in the wood-fired oven. Many of the toppings are sourced locally and seasonally, allowing the menu to evolve with what’s growing right here in our region. There’s a wide variety of classic and unique pizza flavours that Cindy regularly offers, like Margherita, Bee Sting, Pepperoni & Mushroom, The Meat-za, and the seasonal & specialty options. At Horton, Cindy also offers her sourdough waffles!
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How does Cindy come up with the specialty flavour combinations like asparagus, corn, figs, peas, or broccoli on pizza?

“The biggest inspiration is simply what is available and what is tasting great right now.” She expresses that pizza is simply the vessel for great flavours. Once the foundation is right, a perfectly crafted sourdough crust, the possibilities are endless. She explains, “that vessel is like the foundation of a house: it needs to be great or else everything on top risks failing.” When deciding to use ingredients like sweet corn as a pizza topping, she considers how one normally eats corn on the cob. Lots of butter, something creamy or oily to enhance flavours, and something charred or smoky for depth, and herbs for freshness. In the plentiful peak season months, it is easy to pair toppings with other seasonal ingredients like cherry tomatoes that can brighten up a pizza. Inspiration comes from years of culinary experience, classic flavour pairings, conversations about food, the seasonal ingredients that are at their peak, and whatever Cindy is craving!

Despite the many pizza operations in the region, Elgin Harvest remains the only business offering seasonally inspired, 100% wood-fired sourdough pizzas, both fresh from the oven and frozen. Everything is made in-house from the dough and sauces to the condiments and desserts. If you’re visiting the restaurant, Cindy recommends trying the house-made charred scallion ranch for dipping your crusts. 

When asked what keeps her motivated, Cindy’s answer sums it up, “Money to provide for my family. The need to create. Never wanting to have to make a boring, out of season, tasteless dish at a chain restaurant. The entrepreneur's fire to not follow the masses never extinguishes.” For anyone thinking of starting their own business, her advice is simple: “stay focused, but flexible. Find what you’re good at, what aligns with your values, be excellent at it, and no matter what - continuously show up.” Cindy also believes location is important. You can have the best idea, product, staff, and ingredients, but if you’re not located at the proper location without the population to support it, your business will only get so big.

More than anything, Cindy believes supporting local businesses matters. She knows that choosing independent restaurants, local farmers, artists and makers helps create stronger, more vibrant communities and keeps unique businesses thriving. Cindy explains that the money we spend goes directly towards who we want to support, “in a world full of multi-national, mass industrialized products and helping billionaires buy another super yacht does not align with my values.” She explains it’s important to support “mom & pop” restaurants and the farmers who plant their produce with care and little pesticides. Supporting locals is supporting creators, artisans, and those within our community.

Her connection to the Horton Farmers’ Market runs deep. “I think it’s wonderful to see the market evolve as the community needs evolve and grow,” she says, “the market is a much needed cultural hub in the region.” Cindy explains how Horton is a special place for artisans and creators to be unique and it’s a safe destination for families to gather and both physically and mentally find nourishment. As the Horton Farmers’ Market runs year round and now has a certified kitchen, she believes it is becoming more of a culinary tourist destination in St. Thomas - it can promote the region and be an asset to those who live locally. Cindy also credits the market with helping her build relationships, not just with customers, but with fellow business owners and farmers. She explains how beneficial it is to have the opportunity to have a quick chat with not just customers, but other business owners at the market rather than having to schedule a formal meeting and how, “sometimes you need to go to the customers instead of the customers coming to you.”

As she reflects on her journey, Cindy also wanted to share one final message: “I’d like to give a big thank you to the market staff, volunteers, community members, and customers who over the years have been hustling to make the market the best it can be for the city and region.”

You can find Cindy’s Frozen Pizzas from Elgin Harvest at their brick and mortar restaurant at 400 Sunset Drive. Their location has a licensed dining room and a seasonal outdoor patio. They are also available at the Horton Farmers’ Market, open 8am to 12pm every Saturday, and Burke's Produce Market, located on Sunset Drive, 7 days a week. Make sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook and check out their website to stay up to date on the latest seasonal pizza flavours. 

And one more thing… “Eat good pizza!”

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Kate Hanslip, Summer Marketing Assistant ​

Kate is a recent social sciences graduate from Western University and currently a marketing student at Fanshawe College. Having grown up in St. Thomas, she brings a love of history and storytelling to her work where she enjoys highlighting the people, businesses, and stories that shape the community. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, exploring local trails, and experimenting in the kitchen.