Collaboration brings delicious BC-produced Goodly soups to patients and residents while benefiting sustainability efforts
Goodly Foods today announced a new partnership with Northern Health enabled by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s “Feed BC” initiative with support from Sysco to provide sustainably sourced local soups to patients and residents at selected Northern Health owned and operated facilities.
Goodly is a unique social enterprise that creates wholesome food using surplus produce that would have otherwise gone to waste. The organization’s production team is comprised almost exclusively of Indigenous people, many of whom face barriers to traditional employment. Goodly was created through a partnership with private equity and venture capital firm Fulmer & Company.
Today’s collaboration builds on the homegrown success story announced in 2021 when Goodly Foods established a partnership with Fraser Health after severe storms rolled through B.C. and upset the supply chain, creating challenges in sourcing food for local facilities.
The two tasty soups that will be served in Northern Health’s facilities are made from produce sourced from B.C. farmers and food processors. Tomatoes are the most common vegetable deemed to be surplus, for reasons such as being not round or red enough to be sold in a grocery store.
“We’re just thrilled to once again join the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in bringing more BC-produced foods to BC facilities,” said Aart Schuurman Hess, Goodly Foods’ co-founder and CEO. “It also highlights how supportive employment opportunities can be tremendously successful.”
The first shipment of soups will start in January 2023.
Northern Health Capital Planning & Support Services Regional Director Michael Hoefer:
“We are very excited to be offering Goodly Foods' soups to our northern patients and residents. Aart has been wonderful to work with, and we are really pleased to be able to support a BC company whose philosophy is grounded in supporting health, our environment, and the community.”
B.C. Agriculture and Food Minister Pam Alexis:
“Through Feed BC, we are seeing more locally grown and processed foods being served in our public institutions, while, at the same time, supporting our farmers and food processors. Congratulations to Goodly Foods on their partnership with Northern Health, who along with their distributor Sysco, are bringing delicious soups made from B.C. produce to patients and care home residents. Goodly’s success highlights the opportunity and potential to increase food processing in B.C., which supports our province’s farmers, food security and continued economic growth.”
Sysco BC Region President Bill Harasymchuk:
“Sysco has long recognized the benefits of identifying and bringing to market high quality local products,” said Bill Harasymchuk, Sysco’s BC Region President. “We’ve been proud supporters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Feed BC initiative since 2018 and look forward to collaborating with Goodly Foods to further enhance our local offerings, support the Indigenous community and reduce food waste.”
Goodly Foods uses the Commissary Connect food hub, which is part of the BC Food Hub Network, to process their soups, so everything is coming full circle. Goodly Foods has also partnered with other Feed BC institutions to bring its delicious soups to students, staff, faculty and visitors in the post-secondary sector. The University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University proudly carry Goodly Foods products in their campus cafeterias as part of their strong commitment to Feed BC, sustainability, and local food producers, processors and communities.
