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/

If you like what you heard leave us a comment or a review and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

If you would like to be on the show, send us an email :

peter@skufood.com or susan@skufood.com

Keep informed and up to date about the latest news in the food industry, and follow us on social media:

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Thanks for listening!

In this episode of SKUFood Recipes for Success, we sit down with Tom, the driving force behind Healthy Berries Ltd. and the vision behind Superfruit Purée.

With over 40 years in the food industry, Tom’s leadership philosophy is simple yet powerful: give people the targets and tools they need—and then trust them to succeed. That mindset has helped him build a passionate team dedicated not only to innovation but also to keeping the business focused on long-term profitability.

We explore the journey of Superfruit Purée, a unique product made from wild blueberries using patented technology that preserves the whole fruit—peel, seeds, pulp, and all. Alongside developing their own brand, Healthy Berries has also expanded into co-packing, helping other food businesses grow while building a stronger and more resilient operation themselves.

Tom also shares what it was like to step into the national spotlight on Dragon’s Den, pitching Superfruit Purée to a panel of investors, and how that experience impacted their business.

This conversation is about more than just berries, it’s about leadership, innovation, profitability, and the courage to put your business on the line in front of the Dragons.

Website: https://www.superfruitpuree.ca/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/superfruitpureecan

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

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

If you like what you heard leave us a comment or a review and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

If you would like to be on the show, send us an email :

peter@skufood.com or susan@skufood.com

Keep informed and up to date about the latest news in the food industry, and follow us on social media:

• Join our weekly SKUFood newsletter
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Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Recipes for Success, we sit down with Joshua Counsil, engineer-turned-entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and co-founder of Good Robot Brewing and The Beverage Factory.

Raised by murder mystery dinner theatre owners, Joshua brings a unique blend of creativity, strategy, and storytelling to the world of food and beverage. In 2014, he and his friends left behind their engineering careers to launch Good Robot Brewing, a quirky brewpub in the North End of Halifax that has since grown into three award-winning hospitality venues and a wholesale brand recognized across Canada.

Most recently, Joshua and his partners opened The Beverage Factory, a $6.5M co-manufacturing facility producing everything from wine to energy drinks for dozens of Atlantic Canadian companies.

In this conversation, Joshua shares his insights on building businesses that balance community, creativity, and scale. From the leap of faith that started it all to the complexities of launching a large-scale production facility, this episode offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs who want to grow while staying true to their roots.

If you like what you heard leave us a comment or a review and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

If you would like to be on the show, send us an email :

peter@skufood.com or susan@skufood.com

Keep informed and up to date about the latest news in the food industry, and follow us on social media:

• Join our weekly SKUFood newsletter
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Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Recipes for Success, we’re joined by Gary Hughes, Local Program Specialist at Sobeys, who has spent over 27 years growing with the company and building a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in grocery retail.

Gary began his career as a clerk at a Garden Market IGA and worked his way up to Store Manager, before moving into buying and category management roles overseeing multiple categories across Sobeys, Safeway, and IGA in Western Canada. In 2017, he joined the newly created Field Merchandising team with a mission close to his heart, helping local products come to life on Sobeys shelves across the Prairies.

With a lifelong passion for small business, Gary now works with hundreds of entrepreneurs and startups, guiding them through the process of getting their locally made products into grocery stores. In this conversation, he shares insights on what retailers are looking for, how local suppliers can stand out, and the steps that can help small producers expand from community-based sales into larger retail opportunities.
If you’re a food entrepreneur looking to grow your retail presence, this episode is packed with practical advice from someone who knows both sides of the shelf.

If you like what you heard leave us a comment or a review and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

If you would like to be on the show, send us an email :

peter@skufood.com or susan@skufood.com

Keep informed and up to date about the latest news in the food industry, and follow us on social media:

• Join our weekly SKUFood newsletter
• Connect with Peter on LinkedIn
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Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Recipes for Success, we sit down with Kristyn Carriere, co-founder of 7 Summits Snacks and a food innovator with over a decade of experience shaping some of the world’s best-known chocolate brands. Before launching her own venture, Kristyn worked in Europe with global leaders including Cadbury, Milka, Green & Black’s, and Godiva, where she mastered the art of product development and international market launches.

In 2019, Kristyn returned to Canada and, alongside her sister Leanna, created 7 Summits Snacks, a women-owned Canadian brand that merges performance nutrition with premium chocolate. What started as a bold idea has grown into a company with products in over 200 retailers across Canada, supported by national distribution and plans to expand into the U.S. in 2025.

Kristyn shares her journey of translating global experience into local entrepreneurship, the challenges of scaling a better-for-you snack brand, and how 7 Summits is committed to sustainability, empowering women in business and sport, and redefining chocolate’s role in functional nutrition.

If you’re a food entrepreneur looking for inspiration or a chocolate lover curious about innovation in the category, this conversation is packed with insights on building a brand with purpose, passion, and plenty of adventure.

If you like what you heard leave us a comment or a review and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

If you would like to be on the show, send us an email :

peter@skufood.com or susan@skufood.com

Keep informed and up to date about the latest news in the food industry, and follow us on social media:

• Join our weekly SKUFood newsletter
• Connect with Peter on LinkedIn
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Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Recipes for Success, we sit down with Nancy Tregunno, a seasoned food
scientist and founder of Tregunno Food Solutions, who has spent over 30 years helping food and beverage companies develop products, optimize processes, and make smarter packaging decisions.

Nancy brings a rare blend of scientific expertise and real-world experience, supporting small to mid-sized businesses as they navigate everything from formulation to food-package interactions. Lately, her work has focused on one of the industry’s most talked-about topics: sustainable packaging.

With a practical and evidence-based perspective, Nancy shares how food companies can reduce their environmental footprint without compromising on product quality or shelf life. She offers strategies that resonate with both retailers and consumers—focusing on measurable, meaningful changes rather than marketing buzzwords.
Whether you’re launching a new product or rethinking your packaging strategy, this episode is full of grounded, actionable insights from a true expert in the field.

ntregunno@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-tregunno-1b343ab6/

If you like what you heard leave us a comment or a review and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

If you would like to be on the show, send us an email :

peter@skufood.com or susan@skufood.com

Keep informed and up to date about the latest news in the food industry, and follow us on social media:

• Join our weekly SKUFood newsletter
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Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Recipes for Success, we dive into the powerful role of data in the fresh food industry with Mike Mauti, at Execulytics Consulting. With over 25 years of experience in Canadian retail—most notably in senior leadership at Loblaw—Mike brings a wealth of knowledge on how analytics, execution, and strategy intersect to drive measurable success in the grocery sector.

Mike shares how Execulytics helps fresh food suppliers, producers, and brands make smarter, faster decisions through tools like The Produce Report: Canada, Produce DNA, and Efficient Consumer Surveys. His work bridges the gap between what consumers want and how retailers deliver—offering clients a strategic edge rooted in real data, not guesswork.

We also explore his career journey, including two decades at Loblaw where he led major teams and operations across merchandising, workforce management, and retail strategy. Now, as a respected voice in the industry and a contributor to the Canadian Produce Marketing Association and Vineland Stakeholder Advisory Council, Mike is helping shape the future of fresh retail in Canada.

If you’re in the food business and looking to improve your market positioning, understand your customers better, or navigate retail relationships with more confidence, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

https://execulytics.ca/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemauti/

If you like what you heard leave us a comment or a review and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

If you would like to be on the show, send us an email :

peter@skufood.com or susan@skufood.com

Keep informed and up to date about the latest news in the food industry, and follow us on social media:

• Join our weekly SKUFood newsletter
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Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Recipes for Success, we sit down with Kyla King—certified Red Seal Chef, food entrepreneur, and founder of Rad Jamz & Preserves Inc. and Rad Relish Co. Based in West Kelowna, BC, Kyla has taken her culinary training from Michelin-starred kitchens and turned it into a purpose-driven local business that’s now on shelves in over 200 Canadian retailers.

Raised in East Kelowna on a farm steeped in preserving traditions, Kyla’s childhood pantry was filled with freezer jam, home-canned peaches, and tomato sauces—never store-bought. That early connection to food and flavour led her to earn her Red Seal at Okanagan College, and build a career cooking in top-tier kitchens across Canada, Australia, and the UK.

Kyla shares her inspiring story of leaving fine dining to launch Rad Jamz in 2016 at a local farmers’ market with her fiancé. The brand quickly gained attention for its bold flavours, sustainable practices, and simple promise: “Real fruit, no BS.” By rescuing surplus fruit from BC farms and focusing on low-sugar, small-batch production, Kyla is building a business that’s both good for the palate and the planet.

We talk about scaling up, staying true to your values, and why authenticity (and a killer product) can still win in today’s competitive food industry. From jam jars to national growth, Kyla’s journey is a masterclass in craft, community, and creative entrepreneurship.

https://radjamz.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyla-king-32911b2a9/

https://www.instagram.com/radjamz/

https://www.facebook.com/radjamz/

If you like what you heard leave us a comment or a review and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

If you would like to be on the show, send us an email :

peter@skufood.com or susan@skufood.com

Keep informed and up to date about the latest news in the food industry, and follow us on social media:

• Join our weekly SKUFood newsletter
• Connect with Peter on LinkedIn
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Thanks for listening!