In this episode of Recipes for Success, we sit down with Red Seal Chef Sarah Bennetto O’Brien, founder of The Handpie Company, makers of chef-crafted, savory personal handpies that bring quality, local ingredients, and real flavor to Atlantic Canada’s frozen food aisles.

Launched in 2017 with a mission to create grab-and-go meals that don’t compromise on taste or integrity, The Handpie Company uses real butter, Island beef, potatoes, and more. Every pie is chef-made in a CFIA-licensed production facility, ensuring consistent quality in every bite.

Sarah shares how she turned a love of local ingredients into a thriving brand, navigating challenges like scaling artisan quality for the freezer aisle, maintaining local sourcing, and expanding into new retail channels. Today, their products are stocked in over 100 locations throughout the Maritimes, including grocery frozen food aisles, cafés, and taprooms.

We also dive into the early “pie in the sky” idea, the leap from café menus to owning their name and space, and how the team has stayed true to their core values, chef-made, locally sourced, and convenience without compromise.

This conversation is about more than pies, it’s about building a local food brand with community, blending taste and integrity, and pushing the boundaries of what a frozen product can be.

Website: https://www.handpie.ca/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehandpieco/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehandpieco/

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Thanks for listening!