Episode Details

This episode's guest is Michael Burgess, founder of Nerpy's hot sauces and marinades.  We talk about Nerpy's origin story, what inspired Michael to get into the food business, and all about the products and what makes them different.

But first, we cover Canada's food inflation numbers and if they are on track to match Sylvain's predictions from Canada's Food Price Report.

Ukraine: One year later  - Biden visits, Putin claps back opting out of the last nuclear treaty….after a year less disruption to the global food supply chain but many repercussions, including the government promising Canadian farmers they'd get their $35 million back

Next, the 6.3% escalator tax on beer coming into effect April 1 - one of the largest, if not the largest by percentage, and ask why.

Double double trouble cleanup in the drive-through: RBI cleaning house: Tim Hortons turfs key store owner amid a battle with franchisees over profitability and serves notice to the Board of Director members…and lastly, our good friends at Better Cart Analytics get funded

https://www.foodincanada.com/food-trends/cfin-awards-1-2m-to-five-foodtech-projects-154101/

About Michael

Meet Michael Burgess who hails from Kingston, Jamaica. Michael is an entrepreneur and foodie who was born in Kingston, where lived until his family moved to Canada in 1982. Michael Burgess’ story is one that goes from riding a donkey laden with fruits on his grandfather’s farm in Clarendon, Jamaica. To producing award winning hot sauces in Toronto, ON worthy of Toronto Life magazine’s Hall of Flame. Michael’s love of food is deeply rooted in his Jamaican heritage and culture which is what inspires his work. Michael is a Certified Sales Professional and believes in their philosophy of continual learning. His Post- Secondary education was completed at Seneca College in Toronto where he is a graduate from not one but three programs. He started with Accounting, followed by Business Administration-Entrepreneurship and lastly he finalized his studies with Business Administration-Management. In between his studies Michael worked as a manager for a few different companies. In 2008/2009 he looked at the Hot Sauce industry and began experimenting with sauces. By the fall of 2009 Nerpy’s Hot Sauces™, began. Nerpy’s is currently listed in grocery chains like Metro, Sobeys, Farm Boy as well as many other independent retailers and a few restaurants/caterers in Ontario.

Nerpy’s Inc. began in the fall of 2009 as a part time Hot Sauce venture. Nerpy’s Inc., now produces award winning sauces in Toronto, ON worthy of Toronto Life magazine’s Hall of Flame. The Scotch Bonnet peppers are a signature component of these products, many of which have won awards in and around the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area. This collection of sauces include a Mango Scotch bonnet Very Hot Sauce, a Pomegranate and Beet hot sauce, a Tamarind Jerk Seasoning, a Coconut Curry Seasoning, an All Purpose seasoning and a Tropical Pineapple &Appleton Rum infused BBQ Sauce. Nerpy’s Hot Sauces have won awards in competitions such as Jerk Warz (2016), The Heatwave Hot Sauce Expo (2019) and The Royal Winter Fair’s Hot Sauce Competition (2019). Michael’s Pomegranate Hot Sauce was recognized by Toronto Life Magazine as one of the Top twenty Hot Sauces in Toronto (2019).

Nerpy’s is now listed in over 150+ retail stores including major grocery chains like Metro, Sobeys, Farm Boy as well as many other smaller independent retailers and a few restaurants in caterers in Ontario.

Got to https://www.nerpys.ca to learn more about Nerpy’s amazing products or use the store locator for retailers across Ontario.

About Us

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also loca