Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tara. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tara, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

I’ve worked in culinary professionally for nearly 15 years, coming up in some of the Boston area’s best restaurants before eventually opening two of my own food businesses – a cake shop in MA + a French macaron mobile cart in Portland, ME. Though both of my baking businesses were successful, I found as a single mom, it was tough to balance owning + operating a business and being present for my daughter. Working 7 days a week, and long hours eventually took a toll, and I had to make a choice between expanding, and taking on an even larger workload, or focusing on my family. In February of 2020, just weeks before covid would hit, I found myself browsing the job listings on Craig’s List, facing another fork in the road for my French macaron business, and feeling exhausted mentally and physically. Pot + Pan, a cannabis edible manufacturer in Portland, had posted that they were looking for a Head Baker to lead + further grow their product offerings. I had been a secret cannabis consumer for years, making my own edibles at home, that may have been delicious, but were not accurately dosed. The job would be a huge pivot from operating the food cart, but the schedule would allow for more time with my daughter, and I had genuine interest in being a part of the edible market, and the exciting challenge of product development. I interviewed with owners Keri – Jon Wilson, and Dunia Khudairi, who I almost immediately connected with, and now 5 years later, I am the Executive Chef (and face) of Pot + Pan, and create delicious, food-first edibles, with just a touch THC, alongside my creative partners, KJ + Dunia.

Tara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Tara Canaday, and I’m the Executive Chef of Pot + Pan in Portland, Maine. I grew up in the kitchen with my mom, and from a young age, have been passionate about food + feeding people. I started my career as a musician, attending Berklee College of Music for Vocal Performance, but quickly pivoting to food when I became pregnant with my daughter. Upon completing the Pastry Arts program at Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, I worked in some of the Boston area’s best restaurants, before opening my first business, a cake shop on the north shore of Boston. My family would eventually move to Maine, and I would follow, selling my MA cake shop, and opening a mobile French Macaron cart. In 2020, I was brought on as Head Baker, and eventually Executive Chef of Pot + Pan, a food-first cannabis edible manufacturer in Maine. We are working hard to toss the longtime taboo associated with cannabis consumption, and providing elevated, delicious edibles inspired by nostalgic food + drinks with just a touch of THC. I recently appeared on Season 2 of Food Network’s ‘Summer Baking Championship’, and also write a quarterly cooking with cannabis column in Edible Maine Magazine, providing education around consuming edibles + how to properly (and safely) cook with infused products. Last summer, Pot + Pan opened the first of it’s kind infused bakery + kitchen store in Portland, ME, creating a joyful and unique retail experience meets dispensary, that encourages customers to bite boldly, and savor joyfully the wonderful world of micro dosed cannabis edibles!

Our customers know us for having consistently and accurately dosed edibles in a variety of flavors and products, including delicious mocktail-inspired gummies, and chocolate bars inspired by our favorite desserts. In addition, our retail store offers fast-acting infused bundt cakes, that are perfect for adult parties, and are beautifully displayed in bakery cases! We have a rigorous R+D process when it comes to new products and flavors, and have so much in store for 2025!

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I think now, more than ever, people are looking for authenticity in both people and brands. Pot + Pan is women-owned & led, which doesn’t come without its own struggles in a predominantly male dominated field. And as a mother who microdoses cannabis edibles regularly, I spent years keeping it a secret, and feeling shame about my consumption. I’ve found that being honest, including having open conversations with my daughter about cannabis, allows for more people to feel seen + heard if they’re also scared to share that they too consume. I’m happy to be a voice and a safe place for people to ask questions about both cannabis AND baking, and think authenticity and transparency is a big part of being successful. It’s very important to be unapologetically and confidently yourself. People relate to realness, and vulnerability in a world where social media paints a ‘perfect’ and unrealistic picture.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

If I could go back, I WOULD still choose a career in culinary cannabis. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to share our amazing products + lifestyle brand with others. I feel strongly that there is a huge group of people who have not previously been spoken to; they have either had bad experiences with edibles, or are new to edibles all together and are intimidated by the thought. We’ve found there is limited access to micro dosed products that actually taste delicious, and provide consistent experiences upon consumption. We are able to provide a true micro dose, with products starting at 2.5mg, and use joyful packaging and branding in lieu of intimidating neutral packaging and stores with pot leaves everywhere. My background in food, specifically pastry, has allowed for us to create something really special and unique with both our products and our retail experience – which features infused fresh baked treats and a curation of my favorite kitchen tools + ingredients. This profession has allowed me to combine the things I’m most passionate about – feeding, helping, and educating people, and I’m fortunate to be able to do it alongside an incredible team of people who inspire me everyday!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://potandpan.com
• Instagram: @cheftaracannaday @potandpanofficial