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New Surrey food hub opens opportunities for producers in Fraser Valley

Producers and processors in Surrey and the Fraser Valley can now develop and grow their processing businesses at the newly opened Plenty & Grace Food Hub & Innovation Centre.

“B.C.’s food and beverage processing has grown significantly in the last year, and we are working hard to build on that success,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture. “This facility creates economic opportunities for farmers, primary producers and food processors in the Fraser Valley. This builds on our government’s work over the last three years to build a truly resilient food system as we restart our economy from COVID-19.”

The B.C. government has partnered with Plenty & Grace Co. Ltd. to develop the third regional food hub operating in the province. The Surrey hub joins Commissary Connect in Vancouver and the Sea to Forest Food Hub in Port Alberni in the BC Food Hub Network. The Province committed $750,000 for the development of this new food hub.

The Plenty & Grace Food Hub & Innovation Centre will primarily support the production of plant-based value-added products. The commercial processing facility is certified by the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency and will help local, small- to medium-sized producers and processors sell their goods in local markets and retail outlets, as well as markets outside of British Columbia. Services offered at the facility include co-packing, food business consulting, research, lab analytics, distribution and B.C. ingredient sourcing.

“The hub fills a much-needed manufacturing gap here in the Fraser Valley, and we are very excited to be participating in this new venture,” says Rhonda Driediger, Plenty & Grace client, and owner of Driediger Farms.

The BC Food Hub Network is part of the Province’s Feed BC initiative, increasing the use of B.C. food and bringing more opportunities to all aspects of B.C.’s food system. Feed BC is a priority for the Ministry of Agriculture, which is committed to encouraging more agriculture and seafood production and food and beverage processing in British Columbia.

“One reason Surrey continues to grow so quickly is the entrepreneurial spirit of the community, and the desire to create and build small businesses. This food hub will help create value-added products made from ingredients grown on local farms, and support farming and economic activity here in Surrey and throughout the Fraser Valley,” says Jinny Sims, MLA Surrey-Panorama.

The Plenty & Grace Food Hub & Innovation Centre was one of two regional food hubs selected by the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture through a competitive process in the summer of 2019.

The BC Food Hub Network is supporting the establishment of a network of regional shared food processing and innovations hubs (food hubs). The hubs increase value-added processing opportunities for producers and processors and advance innovation in B.C.’s food and beverage processing sector. The Province is providing $11.6 million over a five-year period (2018-19 to 2022-23) to develop the BC Food Hub Network.