180-Store Rollout Begins in Sobeys, Safeway, and Thrifty Foods Banners Across Ontario and British Columbia
Hooray Foods innovative bacon-flavoured strips that look, cook and taste just like real bacon, are now available in Canada. Sobeys Inc., has become the first Canadian retailer to carry the product, which will begin rolling out to 180 of their Sobeys, Safeway, and Thrifty Foods locations across Ontario and British Columbia.
“We’ve experienced rapid growth in the U.S. since our launch a year ago. People who love bacon, love Hooray,” said Canadian-born Hooray Foods founder Sri Artham who started the brand with a mission to improve the health of our planet and its people. “As a Canadian, I’m beyond excited to ‘bring home the bacon’ and offer Canadian shoppers a unique and delicious meat alternative. Sobeys Inc. is a perfect partner in this as they’ve been at the forefront of providing customers with innovative plant-based options.”
Hooray Foods enters the Canadian market as the meat alternatives industry is booming. According to a recent Ernst and Young report, commissioned by Protein Industries Canada, the global market for meat alternatives is expected to rise to CDN$107-$180 billion by 2035.
“At Sobeys Inc., we are passionate about providing our customers with a fulsome shopping experience by continuing to introduce new and innovative products like Hooray Foods bacon-flavoured strips,” said Rob Mikulec, Director of Merchandising, Plant Based, Seafood, Deli & HMR. “We are so proud to be the first retailer to bring this product to Canadian tables and look forward to seeing the unique and delicious ways our customers add it to their breakfast meals, side dishes and festive appetizers!”
Setting Hooray Foods bacon-flavoured strips apart from other meat-free bacon alternatives is an original way to encapsulate fat. This allows replicating the unique taste and texture of bacon, as well as adding to the nostalgia and experience of cooking it. Hooray bacon-flavoured strips are minimally processed and are free of soy, gluten, nitrates, and hormones. The flavor profile features a mix of umami, salty, and smoky with a hint of sweetness. This is achieved with ingredients like coconut oil, rice flour, tapioca starch, liquid smoke, umami seasoning (shiitake mushrooms, salt, mushroom extract, calcium carbonate), maple syrup, salt, and beet juice concentrate.
To find the nearest Sobeys, Thrifty Foods, and Safeway location carrying Hooray Foods in Ontario and British Columbia, visit hoorayfoods.ca/baconlocator.
ABOUT HOORAY FOODS:
Hooray Foods has a vision for plant-based meats that closely mimic their animal counterparts while using ingredients that consumers can feel great about because eating should be a joyful, guilt-free experience. The hefty environmental impact of meat is the driving force behind the brand, but taste takes top billing. The visionary approach to creating plant-based bacon-flavoured strips attracted investors like Evolution VC Partners and Stray Dog Capital among others. With a head office and test kitchen in San Francisco, Hooray is poised to take its plant-based bacon-flavoured strips to plates across North America, while making a positive impact on the environment one crispy, delicious slice at a time! For a store locator and to learn more, visit hoorayfoods.ca.
ABOUT SOBEYS INC.
Proudly Canadian, with headquarters in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, Sobeys has been serving the food shopping needs of Canadians since 1907. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited (TSX: EMP.A), Sobeys owns or franchises more than 1,500 stores in all 10 provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Farm Boy, and Lawton’s Drug Stores as well as more than 350 retail fuel locations. Sobeys, its franchisees, and affiliates employ approximately 135,000 people. More information on Sobeys Inc. can be found at sobeyscorporate.com.
