Island fisherman nets prize to further develop lobster dip
A P.E.I. lobster fisherman has won a $25,000 prize from Innovation PEI's Ignition Fund for his lobster dip, after final pitches of the Food Xcel competition.
This is the second group of participants to take part in the 14-week program through the Food Island Partnership to help local entrepreneurs further develop and market food ideas.
Winner Rob Morrison came up with the concept for Premium PEI Lobster Dip as a different way to eat the Island staple. He says it's a versatile product that can be used as a dip with bread and chips or a spread on things from P.E.I. potatoes to steak.
"We eat lobster many different ways, we are lobster fishermen," Morrison said. "We have always kind of toyed around with eating lobster, beyond your traditional lobster supper and this was one of the products that I made all the time."
Morrison plans to continue fishing for lobster with his father and his sons during the season. He said the lobster dip was always a favourite when he brought it out.
"This is something that I have made for years at home for family and friends," he said. "Round the campfire we would enjoy it and all my family and friends would say 'you should sell this stuff.'"
Different way to enjoy lobster
After years of support and encouragement, Morrison contacted P.E.I.'s Food Island Partnership to see what he could do to share his lobster dish.
"It's exciting and humbling and a little bit scary," Morrison said about winning the prize and further expanding his entrepreneurial endeavour.
He said the money will be used to buy equipment that will increase production by 300-400 per cent.
The food startup competition is part of a larger program which helps food entrepreneurs develop their products.
The 14-week program is funded by the federal and provincial governments in an effort to assist P.E.I.'s local food industry.
Local food big now
"We help food entrepreneurs develop their business and take it to the point of scaling it up and getting into the marketplace," said Tyson MacInnis, director of company development with the Food Island Partnership.
"We know that we work with a lot of food entrepreneurs on a day-to-day basis and by bringing them together in the 14-week program, they can learn from experts, learn from each other and hopefully have a better chance of being successful in the marketplace."
From the original 20 participants, eight finalists were selected and they had three minutes to pitch their idea to the judges and face follow-up questions about their business plans.
MacInnis said they went with finalists who had products consumers want, a team ready to deliver the products and potential to be profitable.
"Food seems to be hot again and that's certainly drawing more food entrepreneurs," MacInnis said.
Although there is only one grand prize winner, organizers say many of the food entrepreneurs involved with the competition will still go ahead with their ideas.
Many ideas expected to go ahead
Jordan MacIntyre is developing a premium canned oyster with her company Common Man. She said fresh oysters require more work so the canned product provides a good alternative to restaurants who want to offer them.
"We've already made sales to two popular Boston restaurants and we're headed to the Boston Seafood Expo next month to meet with more buyers," MacIntyre said.
She said P.E.I's brand as a food island has inspired many food entrepreneurs to find ideas.
"There's all kinds of opportunities," she said.
MacInnis said there are lots of food ideas in Canada's smallest province.
"We had 20 different food ideas come forward in this process from a small province like P.E.I. So it really speaks to the level of food entrepreneurship, the level of demand and artisan food products on P.E.I."
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