“The Centre provides assistance to companies who want to supply their product to large retail markets. They bring in their recipes, and we help get them to where they need to go,” says senior operations manager Robert Gibson.
For new companies needing assistance beyond product development, the Centre’s sister division, the Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator, sits at the end of one long corridor. Here, support includes marketing, business planning, access to finance and technical assistance, as well as private, fully serviced production bays for manufacturing and distributing products during the company’s three-year lease with the Incubator.
Producers need to meet certain requirements before being accepted into either program, says Gibson.
“Consultation and product development can cost $500 per day, so the company who comes to us has to show some financial depth.”
But for those who prove their worth, the world can follow — since both provincially funded centres are registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, companies can ship their products around the globe.
Here is an Albertan success story:
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Gilbert Wolfe owns Canada’s largest and only certified organic apiary, with thousands of hives near Falher, where he processes honey and honey-flavoured condiments inside a 30,000-square-foot facility. Wolfe, who works with the Development Centre’s food scientists for formula and recipe production, says logistics are the biggest hurdle he faces today, but high death rates in bees and competition in the food industry are close behind.
His products, packaged in unconventional pouches instead of plastic or glass jars, stand out; in fact, the design won the Canadian Grand Prix Best Packaging Award in 2009.
“We needed something that wasn’t just a ‘me too’ product,” says Wolfe, whose Honey Bunny products are now in more than 2,000 stores across North America. In Alberta, the organic honey, barbecue sauces, ketchup and bee pollen can be found at Amaranth Foods, Superstore, Planet Organic and Save-On Foods.
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Recipe:
Honey Mustard Wild Salmon, from honeybunny.ca
- 2 lbs (1 kg) wild salmon, cut into 2-in/5-cm wide pieces
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) Honey Bunny
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) mustard
Mix Honey Bunny and mustard together. Coat the bottom and sides of a baking dish with a spray cooking oil. Place the salmon in the baking dish.
Brush the honey mixture over the salmon pieces. Place into a preheated oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes at 350°F (180°C). Serves 6 to 8.
