August 17, 2009
Mrs Palmer’s Pantry – Chosen as One of the Top Ten Innovators by Food Canada Magazine
“In today’s world it still takes a great idea to launch a product, but it’s these attributes – as well a perseverance, hard work and a generous amount of optimism – that are necessary to not only succeed in the food and beverage industry, but to grow and thrive. And despite the doom and gloom often portrayed in the mainstream media, many small businesses are growing, particularly in the food industry. These are the producers who have gone beyond that great idea to, in many cases, create a new niche market, who have seized the opportunities before them, and who have persevered and worked tremendously hard to bring their products to consumers.” Carolyn Cooper, Editor, Food in Canada Magazine.
Mrs. Palmer’s Pantry, located in Cranbrook, B.C., is a gourmet food production company operating since 1995. The company had been producing 14 different jarred products (jams, salsas, antipasto, etc), as well as Mrs. Palmer’s Pantry Pita Chip snacks. The company recently met the BC Government’s new nutritional requirements for snack product placement in the school vending machine system and is ramping up its chip production capacity to meet orders. This opportunity is not limited to school vending machine placement alone, the smaller pack size has been a welcome addition to both retail outlets and lunch programs. The company supplies to DisneyWorld and has recently been listed with Giant Foods of Pennsylvania and New York, as well as Compass Foods. As well as shipping into the US, they are shipping to Hong Kong and have had requests for the product from the Philippines. Airlines have expressed interest in carrying the pita chip snack in 50 gram bags and vending machine operators across North America are searching for healthier snack alternatives. As a result of this opportunity, the principals of the company have discontinued the jarring line and are concentrating on the Pita Chip snack line exclusively. Pita chips are now the official snack of AirForce One and the company has had a request for the product from the US navy as well as other government locations, which cannot be named. The pita chips are available in five flavours: original, barbecue, cinnamon, parmesan and garlic, and sea salt and vinegar. Two more flavours are in the works, with hopes of a fall launch. The pita chips are unique in that they are individually made and oven baked and contain no trans-fats. The smaller containers also contain whole wheat fibre. The chips are packaged in 180 gram bags, in a 5 lb box for foodservice and also 50 gram packages designed for vending machines for a healthy snack alternative for schools.
“We’re thrilled that in a small town in B.C. we’re able to produce a product that’s being so well received.” Brenda Palmer, President, Mrs. Palmer’s Pantry Inc.
SIDIT congratulates Mrs Palmer’s Pantry on being chosen for this prestigious award; Canada’s top 10 Food Innovators. If you have a chance to find May 2009 Food in Canada magazine pick one up and read the article on the top 10 innovators of today or check out their website at www.foodincanada.com.
The photo above shows Mrs. Brenda Palmer and a display of the Pita Chip snacks.
