BARRIE – a Place to Start a Food Business

BARRIE – A Place to Start a Food Business

Barrie is a city of growth offering new and more opportunities for food entrepreneurs.

BARRIE - A PLACE TO START A FOOD BUSINESS | 1 THE FOLLOWING ARE A FEW OF THE ORGANIZATIONS With projected population HELPING LOCAL BUSINESSES: growth of 49% over the next 15 years, Barrie is the location of choice for many companies, startups and entrepreneurs.

With its strategic location in the to food entrepreneurs because heart of Central Ontario, Barrie locally owned restaurants brings together advantages and stores more frequently of extensive transportation support local producers when systems, resources, and quality compared to their non-local of life to foster and support counter parts. Currently, food-based companies. The 30% of Barrie’s downtown Highway 400, the 2nd longest businesses are culinary based. highway in the Province Georgian College, one of Ontario that connects of the fastest growing the highest density of GDP colleges in Ontario has been creation in Canada directly to sweeping across communities Barrie, runs through the City in Central Ontario running with 5 major interchanges. food entrepreneurship Additionally, 3 major provincial seminars. The college along highways are connected to with the Henry Bernick Barrie. Barrie is also known Entrepreneurship Centre for its year-round festivals and is becoming the go-to- events. Kempenfest is one of place for everything food Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals, entrepreneurship with novel drawing over 200,000 seminars such as Food Safety attendees of which over 35% Regulatory Training. are visitors outside of Barrie. The City of Barrie was Barrie is showing recently ranked 7th on Financial significant growth in food Post’s list of entrepreneurial businesses. Between cities in Canada. Food based 2010-2015 Barrie has seen entrepreneurs and innovators a 39% increase in dairy are able to thrive in Barrie as manufacturing; 41% increase a result of the local resources in beverage wholesalers; and and support organizations 19% increase in specialty food who work together to help stores. The increase in local businesses launch, grow specialty stores is important and succeed.

2 | BARRIE - A PLACE TO START A FOOD BUSINESS THE FOLLOWING ARE A FEW OF THE ORGANIZATIONS HELPING LOCAL BUSINESSES:

SOUPHERB SOUPS HAS TURNED FAMILY RECIPES INTO A SUCCESSFUL LOCAL BUSINESS. YOU CAN FIND THEM AT THEIR RETAIL LOCATION IN BARRIE’S SOUTH END OR AT BARRIE’S FARMER’S MARKET.

BARRIE - A PLACE TO START A FOOD BUSINESS | 3 SHELBY TAYLOR, FOUNDER OF EARTH TO KIDS CASE STUDY Earth to Kids, Inc.: A Story of Barrie’s Strong Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

Earth to Kids, Inc. is Shelby Taylor, a set to launch their first Collingwood native, founded Earth to Kids in 2014. She product: Chickapea began her journey in the Self Pasta! Chickapea is a Employment Assistance (SEA) delicious pasta made program through the Business Enterprise Resource Network. entirely from chickpeas! After learning the basics of starting a business, Shelby High in protein, fibre and iron, pitched Earth to Kids to a it’s a family favourite turned panel of experts at Georgian into a superfood. Better yet, College’s exCite! Week, where Chickapea is organic, gluten- she won best pitch and was free, non-GMO, kosher and connected with a founding free of anything artificial. But investor, as well as a mentor what does it taste like, you through the Henry Bernick ask? It tastes like pasta! You Entrepreneurship Centre. From and your family will enjoy there she went on to win the Chickapea just the way you smOffice Contest through the enjoy traditional pasta: plain, Creative Space in downtown with butter and parm or Barrie – a prize package that tomato sauce… but you’ll feel included office space and a way better about choosing number of business services Chickapea. and mentorships with some of

4 | BARRIE - A PLACE TO START A FOOD BUSINESS the many resources available “It’s truly amazing to entrepreneurs in the Barrie what kind of and surrounding area. She has developed her food labels with resources are Georgian College, attended a number of networking and available and how professional development workshops hosted by Invest many wonderful Barrie, ventureLAB and The Creative Space, and has people want to received extensive media help you succeed” coverage on her involvement with the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Barrie’s best business minds, “It’s truly amazing what including Invest Barrie and kind of resources are available ventureLAB. Not long after, and how many wonderful Earth to Kids was awarded people want to help you a $5,000 grant through succeed,” says Shelby. “I’ve ventureLAB’s Boost fund, been so embraced by both as well as a $37,000 grant the support network for through the Ontario Centre entrepreneurs and food start- for Excellence’s SmartStart up community, which has program. made a world of difference to The advantages of the growth and development being part of the Barrie of my business.” entrepreneurship community: In the last several months, For more information on Earth Shelby has taken advantage of to Kids and the company’s story, visit www.chickapea.me

J’ADORE (DOWNTOWN BARRIE) CARRIES A VARIETY OF FINE CHEESES, CHOCOLATES AND UNIQUE GIFTS. BARRIE - A PLACE TO START A FOOD BUSINESS | 5 CASE STUDY Not Yer Granny’s Granola: A Story of Using Local Opportunities to Grow

Not Yer Granny’s was inspired by the newly budding chefs and motivated Granola is a Barrie by their dedication to food. based business This inspiration lead Fran and that started off in her husband to start their company Not Yer Granny’s a training kitchen Granola, a granola product in Barrie which closer to trail mix and unlike the typical boxed granola happened to be the found on most grocery store workplace of co- shelves. Using the Liaison founder Fran Kruse. College in Barrie as her temporary production site, Fran and Mark started to Only Fran was not in the develop their own granola food business. Instead she which made their debut was working in adult career through samples at the training at Barrie’s Liaison Mariposa Market. They started College. With her office by sampling and selling their peering into the kitchen, Fran products to various fairs,

6 | BARRIE - A PLACE TO START A FOOD BUSINESS to cottagers along route “The overwhelming and access to local farmers demand (over 50% markets. In addition, the company utilized the network from the previous and resources at Georgian College including The Henry year) from local Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre. The college has retailers has been supported Fran and Mark by using their product in swag so high that Mark bag to promote in their annual and Fran needed golf tournament, provides food entrepreneurship advisory to move into their through their knowledgeable staff, and the college’s culinary own permanent students provide a large hiring pool for the company. Here facilities” are some other resources that have helped Fran and Mark markets and shows and grow their company: eventually entered the retail market. The overwhelming • Demographics information demand (over 50% from the available at the Barrie previous year) from local Public Library retailers has been so high • Many local retailers that Mark and Fran needed looking to sell local food to move into their own • Food Safety Handling permanent facilities. In July through the Simcoe 2015, Mark and Fran moved Muskoka District into their brand new facility Health Unit in Barrie, ready to hire staff, expand their customer base • Central location relative to and product line and evolve cottagers and deliveries Not Yer Granny’s Granola into to/from Toronto a food company. • Networking opportunities Using Barrie’s local through organizations like resources to get to market and Small Business Connect. stay competitive: • Co-working spaces like Not Yer Granny’s Granola The Creative Space started in the core of Barrie’s downtown at their Liaison For more information on Not Yer Granny’s Granola College location. In addition and the company’s story, visit to having the access to a www.notyergrannysgranola.com commercial kitchen, Barrie offered Fran and Mark access

BARRIE - A PLACE TO START A FOOD BUSINESS | 7 If you’re looking to start or grow your food business, Invest Barrie and its partners can help.

Contact us at [email protected] to learn about the one-on-one support that the Barrie ecosystem can provide to you and your business.