Jar by Jar

How Johwanna Alleyne built a creative, community-rooted pickle business

Johwanna Alleyne is the founder and creative force behind Mojo Jojo Pickles, a beloved Black- and woman-owned preserves company based in Edmonton. What began as a passion project has grown into a thriving small business rooted in creativity, community, and intention. With a background in photography and a love of craft, Alleyne has built Mojo Jojo Pickles with equal parts artistry, grit, and flavour. Whether hand-labelling jars, curating gifts for her storefront, or dreaming about jazz, she brings authenticity to every detail.

How did Mojo Jojo Pickles come to be?

I launched Mojo Jojo Pickles in November 2011, but the journey began earlier. I was a photographer and darkroom technician, working with the City of Edmonton, the Provincial Archives, and at weddings. I loved it, but the shift from film to digital left me looking for a new creative outlet.

I’ve always been drawn to food. I used to organize canning bees, where we’d preserve hundreds of pounds of produce together. I loved the process. It reminded me of darkroom work—scientific, precise, hands-on. In the early days, I still worked full-time as a photographer while doing markets on weekends. We were one of the first vendors at the 124th Street Grand Market. Then Freson Bros. picked us up. I remember I showed up with just a tray of pickled goods and no barcodes, and they still said yes! They helped walk me through scaling up, and that support meant everything.

We started in my home kitchen and moved through various borrowed spaces, from churches to an apartment bay. During COVID, we had five moves in four years. Finally, my husband spotted our current space, once a ballet studio and Korean beauty shop. Now, for the first time, we have both a storefront and kitchen. What started as survival now feels like home.

How did you learn to make pickles and preserves professionally?

I earned an FDA certificate and completed certified food processing training through UC Davis. But my foundation is hands-on and creative. I’ve always made things. I have a good palate, and like anything, you improve with time.

My photography background shapes the business, too. I design our labels, built our website, and manage branding. It’s all about visual storytelling. The work itself isn’t complicated, but it demands care, focus, and consistency. For me, it’s meditative.

Tell me about your storefront. What can people expect when they visit?

We opened the shop in summer 2022, and it’s been bustling. You’ll find our full lineup here, including products not sold in stores. I also stock curated gifts, many of them pickle or vegetable-themed. There’s a real pickle culture out there, and I love leaning into that joy.

From charcuterie boards and greeting cards, to stuffed pickles and pickle tote bags, it’s quirky and intentional, like a little gourmet treasure box. We’re also part of a vibrant neighbourhood, with regulars who stop by often. The community is growing, and it’s amazing to witness.

How has buying local and the movement to support Canadian goods shaped your business?

Most of our business runs through Alberta grocery stores. We’ve learned to navigate the supply chain, and now have a great distributor. You can find us in Safeway, Sobeys, IGA, Co-op, and independents across the province. We also found success in B2B (small retailers and businesses that want to carry our products), and that side has really taken off.

I think we’ve finally emerged from the pandemic haze. And, honestly, American protectionism has been good for Canadian small businesses. I think a lot of us gave our heads a shake and asked why we were chasing after American products when we have amazing goods right here? 

There used to be this belief that American-made meant higher status—probably a holdover from the mall culture and media influence of the baby boomer era. But now? Locally made carries just as much, if not more, weight. We’ve re-centred ourselves.

What does a luxurious life look like to you?

For me, a luxurious life is time and art. That’s it. I need time to rest, time to create, time to be with people I love. And I need art in all its forms—music, visual art, words, film. My husband is a writer, my mom’s a painter, and my siblings and I play music together. I play bass and I love jazz. That’s what fills me up.

COVID really cemented that understanding: that art isn’t extra. It’s essential. It carries us. So does good food. I believe that food is art, too; it comes from the same place of creativity, care, and expression. I think more people understand that now. And when you’re in the business of making something for others to enjoy, it’s about creating comfort, beauty, and connection.

The other thing I need is balance. And I’ll be honest, it’s taken me a long time to get here. But I feel like I have more balance now than I’ve had in all the years I’ve run this business. It’s come with experience, age, and good coaching. It’s helped me move out of hustle culture and into a place of ease. That’s the goal now. Not more hustle, just more clarity and sustainability.

There’s so much energy and support out there for startups, but not as much for businesses that are in the next phase, learning how to sustain. That’s where I am now. I’d love for Mojo Jojo to be twice the size it is today, but I don’t want to build a plant or scale endlessly. I want it to stay a small, profitable, community-rooted business. 

I feel hopeful about growing the business in a way that gives me more life, instead of taking it. That’s the dream, right? More time to make music. More time with my husband, whom I adore. I want to keep showing up for this work and this community, but I also want to play jazz, and sit in the sun, and take a deep breath.

I’m joyful in what I do. Even when it’s busy—that, to me, is a well-lived life. I feel so loved by Edmonton. I don’t feel gobbled up by this city. I feel like it holds space for people like me to do good, meaningful, creative work. And that’s the real luxury.

Mojo Jojo Pickles is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 am to 4 p.m. at 9627 – 82 Avenue, Edmonton.