As we wrap up 2015 we look back at what we’ve learned, what we have to celebrate, and memories made with the ‘good food’ sustainability community we’re privileged to be a part of.

Thank you friends, family and community partners for helping make 2015 one to remember! Here are some of the highlights:

Good Food Community

Feeding Growth

We hosted one of five Feeding Growth workshops for scaling local, sustainable, ethical food businesses. See top learnings.

Partners: Guayaki, Salt Spring Coffee, Gardein, Faculty Brewing, Earth’s Own Food Group, Choices Market, Indigo National Products, and Renewal Funds.

 

Goodness: Recipes & Stories

Our friends Chris and Peter Neal from Neal Brothers Foods created the Goodness Cookbook, bringing together the recipes and stories of 37 good food fighters – activists, chefs, entrepreneurs and growers – from across Canada. Ian, our founder and president, contributed his grandma’s Blueberry Buckle recipe and what he’s learned over the years as an organic food advocate and business owner.

 

Events

Canadian Health Food Association West Trade Show

and #HOLDMETOIT Campaign

We challenged ourselves, the businesses we work with and people we know to make pledges to live, work and play mores sustainably. See the #HOLDMETOIT pledges people made.

Here are the stellar brands we’re proud to distribute! Neal Brothers Foods, Gluten Free Bar, Denman Island Chocolate, Runa, Late July Snacks, Simpur, Castor & Pollux Natural Petworks, Lotus Foods, Fortified Nutrition, Proper Soda, Artisana, Honey Bunny, Newman’s Own, Mediterranean Snacks, Bio-Vert, Natural Value, Alive & Radiant, Good Health Snacks, Surf Sweets, Yum Earth, and Go  Bio.

Veg Expo and B Corp Panel

We sampled our Hippie Foods at Veg Expo. Suzanne Siemens (Lunapads) and Stewart Brown (Genuine Health) and Ian took part in a discussion panel on the difference B-Corps make for employees, their communities and the planet.

We were also at Gluten Free Expo, Healthy Family Expo, Vancouver Folk Festival, Coho Festival, Car Free Day and Garlic Festival.

 

Company Celebrations and Shenanigans

Playland and BBQ Summer Family Fun Day. More photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spooky Halloween Lunch and Costume Contest. Photo album.

Winter Party: Santa, Dinner and Belly Dancing at East is East. More photos.

Also, organic summer BBQs and pajama parties.

 

Left Coast News

Awards

• Winner: BC Food Processors Association, Product of the Year – Silver for Hippie Foods Garden Chips
• Profit Magazine’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies list
• Business in Vancouver Magazine’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies list
• Finalist: Burnaby Board of Trade Business Excellence Awards, Sustainability and Business of the Year categories

Our Products

• Launched NEW Hippie Snacks: Coconut Chips Tamari & Cracked Pepper and Coconut Bacon flavours
• Launched NEW Hippie Snacks: Coconut Clusters 

• Hippie Snacks Tamari & Cracked Pepper Coconut Chips become the first food product with nutritional yeast to be Non-GMO Project verified
• Reformulated our Hippie Foods Hippie Granola to have up to 20% less sugar and revamped our Hippie Foods packaging

• Launched a bulk food database for people to learn directly about the organic bulk foods they buy such as nutritional information, allergens, recipes, country of origin and about the farmer.

In the Media

• Ian and Hippie Foods appear in a four week blog series in the Province Newspaper on gluten free foods and running a sustainable business. See posts 1, 2, 3 and 4
• Left Coast Naturals’ Non GMO Policy is shared in Eat North Magazine
• Hippie Garden Chips are featured in Good Life Vancouver, Eat Magazine p. 10, Burnaby Now, and Food in Canada
• Hippie Snacks Original Coconut Chips appear in a This Rawsome Vegan Life recipe, Vancity Buzz, and Vancouver Foodster
• Hippie Cookies are seen on CTV
• Hippie Snacks Tamari & Cracked Pepper and Coconut Bacon Coconut Chips are featured in Hello Vancity, Health and Wellness Retailer, Culinaire Magazine, Vancouver Courier p.33, the Vancouver Courier Podcast  15:30, Western Grocer,  and Vancity Buzz

 

That was our 2015 and off we go into our 20th year in business. We hope it will be our best one yet! 2016, here we come.