Urban Picnik salad meals, now available at retailers in Quebec where the company is based, is branching out across Canada, with distribution to grocery and convenience stores — and an eye on U.S. expansion.
The company, formerly known as Ma Vitrine Bio, was founded by Marie-Anne Verstraelen, and the new salad line was created by nutritionist Julie DesGroseilliers.
A partnership with Vegkiss makes the expansion possible, according to a news release.
“With the upcoming change to the Canadian Food Guide, we wanted to position ourselves to meet the need for nutritional balance in the ready-to-eat category by focusing on plant proteins,”Urban Picnik president Verstraelen said in the release. “We have changed our name to better reflect our lineup of classic non-organic salads that everyone can afford.”
A new production facility for the salads opens this summer.
The new salads, sold in jars, and some of their ingredients are:
- Cesar – lettuce, chick peas, kale
- Maki – rice vermicelli, carrots, celery, lettuce
- Dragon – beets, carrots, tofu, kale
- Milos – chickpeas, celery, edamame, red onions
- Soleil – red kidney beans, quinoa, sweet corn, tomatoes
The salads have been available in IGA, Metro and Couche-Tard stores in Quebec for $6.99. With the new Joliette plant, distribution is expected to reach more than 600 outlets in Quebec this year, according to the release.
The salads were one of 10 finalists in SIAL Canada’s Innovation contest.
