ing from either theWest or East coast, but
there was nothing originating from Ontario
that fell into the certified organic fair trade
category. OnApril 1, 2011, the two launched
the flagship business, immediately going
after the retail sector and finding support
from specialty food stores such as Whole
Foods Market. Today, 23 Degrees Roast-
ery coffee can also be found in three well-
known grocery chains — Loblaws, Metro
and Sobeys.
“Launching a product is one of the hardest
things I’ve encountered,” Yu said. The ma-
jor retail chains are flooded with product
ideas every year and earning a place in the
annual category review is immensely chal-
lenging. But the demand for a premium
MAY/JUNE 2015
H
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