HISTORY OF EREWHON - NATURAL FOODS ... - SoyInfo Center

• Summary: This is “the first in a series of profiles of young
people who are studying the Unifying Principle under the
guidance of Michio Kushi in order to deepen their own
understanding and to prepare themselves to become leaders
and teachers of others.
“Evan is, in many ways, the dean of young Boston
friends. For the past year he has been proprietor of
Erewhon, where some food supplies are obtainable, and
hundreds of people have become grateful to him for his
attendance... His manner is quiet and thoughtful, punctuated
by occasional bursts of hilarity which are apt to be
accompanied by impromptu monologues or imitations.”
Evan was born on 12 June 1943 in New York. His
earlier ambition was to become a director in the theater or
the cinema. “A few weeks ago, Evan ‘graduated’ from
Erewhon and began to make plans for the future. At present,
he is considering a lecture tour, a restaurant, and perhaps
supplementing his studies with Haikoryu jujitsu.”
Note: This is the earliest document seen (March 2011)
that mentions Erewhon.
Talk with Evan Root. 1992. April 27. He notes that this
“profile” was written by Jim Ledbetter, editor of this
magazine, and the cartoon of Evan’s head was drawn by
Michio Kushi. Address: Boston, Massachusetts.
6. SoyaScan Notes.1967. Chronology of the work of Arran
Stephens with natural foods, vegetarianism, and Lifestream
Natural Foods Ltd. (Vancouver, then Richmond, BC,
Canada). Part IV (1981–1989). 24 Sept. 1992. Compiled by
William Shurtleff of Soyfoods Center.
• Summary: Continued: 1981–Annual sales of Lifestream
brand products jump to a record $12 million, and there are
about 100 employees. All the retail sales and sales of
Lifestream’s distribution company are in Canada. However,
the majority of Lifestream’s Manna Bread, natural energy
bars, and organic baked goods are in the USA. An estimated
25% of Lifestream’s total sales were in the USA to
wholesale distributors.
1981–Arran refuses to co-sign a bank loan for
Lifestream, in an attempt to resolve partnership problems at
Lifestream, by trying to force his disaffected partner to
either buy his shares at a price for which Arran was willing
to sell them, or to let Arran buy his shares at the same price.
But the disaffected partner refuses to sell his shares to
Arran, and he doesn’t have the means to buy Arran’s shares.
The third partner wouldn’t decide one way or the other.
Parshan Sahota, an Indian man, owns 8% of the shares; a
hardworking, loyal employee, he had $60,000 to invest, an
amount calculated to equal 8% of Lifestream’s shares.
Parshan is now operating a successful Lifestream
distribution operation out of Ontario, is behind Arran all the
way (he is not an initiate), however even with his support,
Arran does not have the requisite 51% ownership or
backing to gain control of the company. Despite the
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HISTORY OF EREWHON 26
company’s success, the only alternative at this point is to
sell to an outsider. Arran and Ratana do not want to sell the
Lifestream baby, as they felt very much identified with it.
This is a painful but valuable lesson for them. A buyer is
found.
1981 July or Aug.–Lifestream is reluctantly sold to a
holding company controlled by investment bankers Gordon
Byrne and David Mindell. They hire Arran to remain as
president, but renege on a promise to give him back 10% of
the company, so he resigns as president by the end of
August. He recalls that they effectively cheated him out of
approximately $200,000 in the technicalities of the sale.
Several months later, on the advice of a seasoned attorney,
Hyma Altman, Arran decides to seek legal recourse for the
recovery of the promised 10%; the defendant settles out of
court. Gordon sells his shares to David Mindell and they
hire an ex-executive of a large consumer goods firm to run
the company. Under the new ownership, Lifestream has
difficulties in the marketplace and labor problems at the
stores, which they sell or close.
After Arran resigns from the company, he goes back to
work at Woodlands Natural Foods (the family restaurant
business), and abides by a 3-year non-compete agreement
which restricts him from going into retail, wholesale, or
manufacturing.
1981 Aug.–Nabob Foods (Canada’s #2 brand of coffee)
buys (from David Mindell) the much weakened Lifestream
manufacturing operation at 9100 Van Horne Way,
Richmond, BC. Nabob invests heavily in the Lifestream
brand.
1981 Oct. 11–Arjan, the Stephens’ fourth child and first
son, is born–on Canada’s “Remembrance Day.” Arran
recalls: “From early ages, our kids worked for hourly wages
at our various enterprises, as they wanted spending money.
We told them that if they wanted money, they needed to
earn it, and learn valuable life skills along the way.”
1981 to 1985–During these three years when his noncompete
agreement was in effect, Arran helped Ratana at
the Woodlands vegetarian restaurant. He recalls: “She was
the heart and smarts behind the restaurant operation. I was
the builder, the Don Quixote, tilting at Windmills. I did wait
on tables, chop vegetables, clean toilets, sweep the parking
lot.” Using the initial large restaurant at 2582 West
Broadway as a central bakery and commissary, they supply
the old Mother Nature’s Inn–still there in the back of the
original Lifestream store (it is a tenant of the store), convert
it to a Woodlands, and open and supply two additional
Woodlands restaurants and stores in Vancouver (permitted
in the non-compete agreement). Arran continues: “But it
was very difficult to keep it all organized and profitable, and
the world load was excessive. Ratana had the three
daughters and now out newborn son to look after, plus she
helped out with the main restaurant. She was the real hero
that kept it together. The various Woodlands satellites were