Gardein
{{short description|Line of foods by Conagra Brands}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Gardein
| logo = Gardein logo.svg
| image =
| type =
| industry =
| founded = 2003
| founder = Yves Potvin
| hq_location_city = Richmond, British Columbia
| hq_location_country = Canada
| area_served =
| key_people =
| products = Animal meat-free foods
| brands =
| owner = Conagra Brands
Pinnacle Foods
| website = [https://www.gardein.com/ Gardein official website]
}}
Gardein (a portmanteau of garden and protein) is a line of meat-free foods produced by Conagra Brands. In 2003, the company was founded by Yves Potvin, who remained as the CEO of Gardein until 2016.{{Cite news|last=Best|first=Dean|date=1 May 2015|title=just the answer: Gardein founder and CEO Yves Potvin.|work=Just-Food}} In November 2014, Pinnacle Foods purchased Gardein for $154 million. Pinnacle was acquired by Conagra in 2018.{{Cite web|title=Conagra Brands Completes Acquisition Of Pinnacle Foods {{!}} Conagra Brands|url=https://www.conagrabrands.com/news-room/news-conagra-brands-completes-acquisition-of-pinnacle-foods-prn-122653|access-date=2019-11-12|website=www.conagrabrands.com}}
The company has production facilities in Richmond, British Columbia and Hagerstown, Maryland.{{Cite web|last=Bednar|first=Adam|title=Pinnacle coming to Hagerstown – Maryland Daily Record|date=23 September 2015 |url=http://thedailyrecord.com/2015/09/23/pinnacle-coming-to-hagerstown/|access-date=2017-09-09}} All of Gardein's products are vegan. The company uses a proprietary process to make its meatless products. In 2014, the company began producing gluten free meatless products.{{Cite news|last=Abdulla|first=Hannah|date=14 February 2014|title=Meat alternatives firm Gardein adds gluten-free to range|work=Just-Food}} File:Gardein Crispy Tenders at Loving Hut Restaurant (4907394193).jpgFile:Gardein pocket meals in 2015.jpg
History
Garden Protein International was founded by former chef Yves Potvin in 2003.{{Cite news|title=Yves Potvin on rapid growth|date=21 October 2008|work=The Globe and Mail}} In 2009, the company began selling its frozen products.{{Cite journal|last=Hudson|first=Sabrina|date=28 April 2014|title=Fish-free filets angle for sales: Gardein looks to hook more than just vegans with meatless product|journal=Los Angeles Business Journal|volume=36| issue = 17|pages=3|via=Factiva}}
In 2007, Garden Protein had 85 employees and $50 million in annual sales.{{Cite news|title=Meatless meat wins animal rights award; Veggie-based chicken and beef look-alikes are created by Richmond's Garden Protein|last=Anderson|first=Fiona|date=27 December 2007|page=C4}} In 2014, it had nearly $100 million in sales at the retail level.{{Cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-himi-yves-potvin-20140720-story.html|title=How I Made It: Yves Potvin|last=Hsu|first=Tiffany|date=2014-07-20|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-09-09|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}} By 2015, it had over 250 employees with distribution to more than 22,000 stores in North America.{{Cite journal|last=Miller|first=Nancy|date=March 2015|title=Where's the beef?|journal=Los Angeles Magazine|volume=60| issue = 3|pages=104–108|via=Factiva}}
Gardein was first used in the United Kingdom in 2008, as an ingredient in Grassington's frozen meals.{{Cite news|title=New vegetarian launches to capitalise on UN claims|last1=Beckett|first1=Alex|date=13 September 2008|work=The Grocer|last2=Riley|first2=Lisa|page=33}}
Publicity
Gardein products have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show multiple times by chef and Gardein consultant Tal Ronnen.{{Cite news|title=Chef puts the protein on vegan plates|last=Butler|first=Grant|date=7 September 2010|work=The Oregonian (MCT)}}{{Cite news|title=Richmond-based firm braces for another wave of Oprah-fuelled growth|last=Shore|first=Randy|date=1 February 2011|work=Postmedia News}}
In 2013, Gardein partnered with the Los Angeles City Council to celebrate Meatless Monday.{{Cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/los-angeles-city-council-commends-gardein-for-its-support-of-meatless-monday-183073531.html|title=Los Angeles City Council Commends Gardein for its Support of Meatless Monday|last=Gardein|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en|access-date=2017-09-09}}{{Cite news|title=L.A. City Council Salutes Gardein for Its Support of Meatless Monday|date=17 December 2012|work=Health & Beauty Close-Up}}
Awards
In 2007, Gardein received PETA's Company of the Year Award for their meat substitute products.
Since 2010 Gardein has received four Canadian Grand Prix New Product awards (Frozen or Refrigerated Prepared Food & Entrees, 2013,{{Cite news|title=Grocery Industry Honours Rookies of the Year|date=7 June 2013|work=Canada NewsWire}} Fishless Fillet and Crispy Chik'n with Veggies Pocket Meal, 2015{{Cite news|title=Gardein Honored at Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards for Fifth Consecutive Year|date=11 June 2015|work=India Retail News}}). It also won a New Product award from Veg News Magazine three years in a row (2010, 2011 and 2012). Gardein's Seven Grain Crispy Tenders product won Shape magazine's Best Snack award in 2010, and Gardein then won the Good Food Award by Natural Health Magazine in 2011.
Gardein received several awards in 2014, including PETA's Product of the Year, the Libby Award for PETA's 'Best Seasonal Vegan Food,' the 'Foodie Award' by the Vegetarian Times, and the National Restaurant Association's Food and Beverage Innovations (FABI) Awards for their Fishless Fillets.{{Cite news|title=NRA reveals 2014 FABI Award picks|date=12 March 2014|work=Restaurant Hospitality}}
Also that year, the brand received the Leadership in Sustainability award at the British Columbia Export Awards, and Mercy for Animals awarded founder Yves Potvin their Innovative Business Award.
Better Homes and Gardens awarded Gardein with Best New Product in the Meatless Alternative category for their Crispy Chick'n Sliders in 2014,{{Cite news|title=Better Homes and Gardens Highlights Best New Product Awards 2014 Winners|date=27 January 2014|work=Entertainment Close-Up}} and 'Best New Product' in 2015.
In 2015, Gardein's Gluten-Free Beefless Ground was a finalist for Best Meat Replacement in Delicious Living Magazine
Fine for dumping vegetable oil
In February 2018, Gardein pleaded guilty in the Provincial Court of British Columbia to a 2016 offence of unlawfully dumping vegetable oil into a ditch on Gardein's property that leads into the Fraser River. The company was fined $285,000, ordered to improve its Richmond-based plant to prevent future spills, and added to the Environmental Offenders Registry.{{Cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2018/02/british_columbiamanufacturerofplant-basedfoodsfinedforfisheriesa.html|title=British Columbia manufacturer of plant-based foods fined for Fisheries Act violation - Canada.ca|last=Canada|first=Environment and Climate Change|website=www.canada.ca|date=20 February 2018|language=en|access-date=2018-02-22}}
See also
{{portal|Canada|Food}}
References
{{Reflist|2|refs=
[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pinnacle-fds-deals-idUSKCN0IY1HB20141114 Pinnacle Foods to buy Canadian protein foods maker Garden]. Reuters, 14 November 2014
{{cite news
| title =Winner – Gardein Golden Fishless Filets!
| url =http://gardein.com/winner-gardein-golden-fishless-filets-better-homes-gardens-best-new-product-2015/
| publisher =Gardein.com
| date =February 2, 2015
| access-date = 2015-03-16
}}
{{cite news
| title =Gardein's 'Golden Fishless Filet' Is PETA's 'Product of the Year
| url =http://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/gardeins-golden-fishless-filet-petas-product-year/
| publisher =PETA
| date =December 17, 2014
| access-date = 2015-03-16
}}
{{cite news
| title =2014 Libby Awards
| url =http://features.peta2.com/libby-awards-2014/#
| publisher =peta2
| date =2014
| access-date = 2015-03-16
}}
{{cite news
| title =Gardein™ Receives Award for Leadership in Sustainability at the British Columbia Export Awards
| url =http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20141118005253/en/Gardein%E2%84%A2-Receives-Award-Leadership-Sustainability-British-Columbia#.VQNoa2R4qly
| newspaper =Business Wire
| date =November 18, 2014
| access-date = 2015-03-16
}}
{{cite news
| title =2014 Foodie Awards: Market to Table
| url =http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/market-to-table-vts-2014-foodie-awards/
| newspaper =Vegetarian Times
| date =2014
| access-date = 2015-03-16
}}
{{cite news
|title = Innovative Business Award
|url = http://gardein.com/mfa-awards-yves-potvin-innovative-business-award/
|publisher = gardein.com
|date = 2014
|access-date = 2015-03-16
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150222160842/http://gardein.com/mfa-awards-yves-potvin-innovative-business-award/
|archive-date = February 22, 2015
}}
}}
External links
{{Commons category|Gardein}}
- {{official|https://www.gardein.com}}
{{Pinnacle Foods, Inc.}}
{{Vancouver Corporations}}