Have you ever driven down West Saanich Road and seen a sign that reads “Epicure”? For years, I drove past wondering what was going on in the big building at the end of the long driveway. On Wednesday, October 22nd I had the pleasure of visiting Epicure, meeting many of the executive team and touring the facilities.
Epicure provides fast and easy meal solutions using clean, whole ingredients. Founded by Sylvie Rochette in her basement in James Bay in 1991, Epicure’s manufacturing and production was moved to North Saanich in 2003. The company has since seen tremendous growth. With annual revenue of $50 million and over 10,000 consultants, Epicure is the number one Direct Sales Company in Canada.
Epicure: One million orders picked, packed and shipped from North Saanich
Each year Epicure blends a half million kilos of raw ingredients into four million jars and four million sachet packets. That’s one million orders picked, packed and shipped from their headquarters in North Saanich. It is an impressive operation and one of those homegrown entrepreneurial success stories that we should highlight and celebrate.
We educate and inspire our community with a three-course solution—for ourselves, our children, and our planet. Our mission is to take back our health and change the course of our next generation’s health and relationship with food. – Epicure
For over a decade, I have heard from industry advocates about the challenges facing the manufacturing sector on the Saanich Peninsula. From workforce housing and transportation, to a lack of skilled trades and skyrocketing property value assessments, all have had a negative impact on business.
This past summer, I hosted an open house in the Saanich North and the Islands constituency office. That is where I first met Christine Magill, Vice-President of Human Resources of Epicure, and when we began planning my visit this week.
It is a priority for me, to take the time to better understand these businesses critical to our local and provincial economy. So I sat down with Magill, Epicure’s CEO (and daughter of the founder), Amelia Warren, and Vice President of Operations, Jess Berlenbach, to discuss the issues and come to know their company, their values, their contribution to our community and broader society. Most importantly, we began to explore ways that I can effectively support the manufacturing sector in our region.
As I said to the executive team of Epicure, and to all the other leaders in the manufacturing and industrial sector, I am committed to standing up and representing them. I am grateful to them as investors in our community, and innovators and changemakers creating and supporting family-sustaining jobs of our constituents.
Of the 180 employees working at Epicure’s headquarters, many live in North Saanich and Sidney. Epicure not only provides jobs and economic growth, but also gives back through the Epicure Foundation Grant Program funding more than 50 grassroots initiatives that support food security.
Good food equals good health, and as we strive to create a healthier environment for our communities, it’s important to support businesses like Epicure who are encouraging clean eating and offering solutions that will save time – which ultimately means less stress, more time spent together, better nutrition and better quality of life.
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