This summer, don’t jump in front of the beer fridges at the grocery store if you see a jar of Quebec BBQ sauce there. A Saguenay-based SME has just teamed up with American giant Budweiser to launch a product.
• Also read: After ketchup and mustard, a Quebecer takes on a spicier market
• Also read: Lack of Mustard: A Quebecer outweighs the multinationals
“The market is changing, big players need smaller ones like us to consolidate their brands. We take advantage of that,” says Simon-Pierre Murdock, founder and co-owner of Canada Sauce.
Known for its three flagship condiments – ketchup, relish and mustard – made with 100% Canadian ingredients, the Saguenay-based company is expanding its lineup.
Courtesy of Simon Pierre Murdock
“Our BBQ sauce with Budweiser is made from Canadian tomatoes, maple syrup and Canadian mustard flour,” explains the young entrepreneur.
This collaboration did not come about through scissor screams. Simon-Pierre Murdock had to redouble his efforts to convince the owner of American lager, Belgian multinational Anheuser-Busch InBev.
It took him a dozen meetings in Toronto, where the giant’s Canadian offices are located, spread over nearly 12 months.
Ultimately, Canada Sauce takes care of production, research and development, sales and marketing. Budweiser takes care of the marketing.
“We are a local company that wants to go international. We needed a strategic player to help us move forward,” explains Mr. Murdock.
Photo courtesy of Canada Sauce
The fashionable place
He is convinced that their cooperation is a “win-win situation” because we are currently experiencing a “de-globalization” in the food sector.
“Multinational corporations want to get closer to the local economy, they see that they are being cheated of market shares by small local players,” observes the entrepreneur.
Canada Sauce, in turn, seeks Canadian and American growth.
The agreement with Budweiser is currently limited to the Quebec market. The two sauces, made in collaboration with the beer giant, are available from IGA.
“After that there will be an expansion. “We want to break the Heinz-Kraft monopoly,” Simon-Pierre Murdock doesn’t hesitate to suggest.
Can you share information about this story with us?
Write to us or call us directly at 1-800-63SCOOP.