New initiative looks to boost local products in New Brunswick

It won’t be long before a little white tag stamped with the name Savour NB surrounded by colourful local products, will start popping up in grocery stores across the province.

It will serve as a visual reminder that the product was made right here in New Brunswick.

“Back in my grandparents’ day, probably 75-80 per cent of the food consumed in New Brunswick or Atlantic Canada was grown in Atlantic Canada. Today that number’s less than six per cent, so what we want to do is start moving the dial on that,” said Savour NB Food & Beverages Partnership chair, Blair Hyslop.

Savour NB, an industry-led initiative, aims to promote the food and beverage industry in its own backyard.

Hyslop says this new founded support for local growers, farmers and producers was about seven years in the making and the dream that’s now turned into reality, looks to make it really easy for people to chose local when it comes to their grocery shopping.

However, on top of showing people what is local on the shelves, Hyslop says it will also help local companies grow and thrive as well.

Savour NB Chair, Blair Hyslop announcing the initiative on Wednesday morning at the Dieppe Market. (CTV/Alana Pickrell)“For folks that are in the food industry or hope to be in the food industry who want to start food companies in New Brunswick, Savour NB will be a primary point of contact where they can contact with folks to help you do that,” he said.

Adding that Savour NB will also help businesses grow, whether that’s from small to medium or medium to large.

“We want to be the centre of all of the conversations and the convener of stakeholders to help amplify the efforts,” he said.

The new campaign received just under $440,000 to get started with half coming from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and half from the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries.

“We know that the consumer, through the pandemic, was identifying much more with a local product, whether it be protein or produce, and we wanted to make sure it was easy for them to go into a grocery store and say ‘I want to support the people who are giving back in our community.’ They’re investing in our hockey teams and our basketball teams and our drama clubs,” said N.B. Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister, Margaret Johnson.

“This is just a fantastic opportunity to showcase all things local.”

A closer look at the tags/logo that will be at farmers markets, Sobeys’ and Foodland’s. (CTV/Alana Pickrell)At the heart of it all, a boost for people who live in your neighbourhoods, who you call friends and who make up your family.

It’s support that helps local businesses like Chateau Scodouc, a maple company that opened its doors in 2020.

“Without all the support that we’ve had, I don’t think we’d be where we are right now,” said Jocelyne Bourque, owner of Chateau Scoudouc.

“It started with syrup and the following weekend after we started we had five different products and with the local support, Chateau Scoudouc is where it is now, you know after four years. Local is everything.”

A glimpse into some of the products that will be featured with a SavourNB tags in the coming months. (CTV/Alana Pickrell)To start, Savour NB logos will be present at Sobeys’, Foodland’s and Farmers Markets across New Brunswick.

The initiative is completely free for industry members to sign up for and officials say about 200 businesses already have.

“One of the things I’ve noticed in my career, when we’ve been most successful is when we go into a situation where everybody believes there’s more potential then is being realized and Savour NB is going to be a solution provider for that,” said Hyslop.

“We want to start leveraging the opportunities also to contribute to the GDP of the province and grow the GDP of the province through the food sector and historically the food industry has been a leader in GDP growth in New Brunswick and in the last decade or so, or 15 years or so, we’ve backed away from that, so it’s time to get back to what we’re good at: growing, making and raising food in New Brunswick.”

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