About Us

A few years ago my childhood friend Kathy gave me an old fruit press that she had inherited from her Grandma. “You’re going to love it!” she exclaimed as she passed me the odd looking device. And... I loved it immediately.

I used it to make my favourite cocktails, to flavour sparkling water for my kids (much better than a soda!), and to complete any recipe that called for fresh juice. It became my “go-to” appliance, always on my counter and used at least once a day, never even getting a chance to hide in a cupboard, forlorn and forgotten like so many modern utensils that are far from user-friendly. 

But this beloved fruit press was made in 1928 from uncoated aluminum, and I couldn’t throw it into the dishwasher. I searched far and wide for an updated version, but it simply didn’t exist.  So I started to research where this treasure came from. And believe it or not, the original engineer who patented the press was named Van Dusen, just like me. It was meant to be! I thought, why not update it myself?

I was now on a mission – and after searching and searching for the perfect manufacturer, I found a gem of an aluminum foundry in beautiful Muskoka, and an owner who was willing and patient enough to manufacture “The Press” for me.  We have moved on from this tiny start to now an operation that sadly had to be taken out of Canada but retains its Canadian charm and design.

I take great pleasure in making it available to all.

Happy Pressing!

Nancy Van Dusen Thompson