Driving growth through connection for local food and beverage consumer packaged goods businesses

Cobourg, ON – April 9, 2024 – The BECN Food and Beverage Consumer Packaged Goods Development Group connects local businesses owners with entrepreneurs from the same industry to help them grow their business. As part of this group, business owners can share knowledge, learn from their peers, receive free business coaching, and access micro grants to scale up their business.

This specialized group targets businesses that sell food or beverage consumer packaged goods (CPG) for wholesale distribution and are seeking to expand their business regionally, provincially, nationally or globally. CPG businesses include product-based businesses that sell retail-ready packaged food and beverages, such as drinks, sauces, spices, snacks, and more. The group has supported many local businesses in Northumberland, including Saucy Dotty’s Gourmet Sauce in Brighton, The Lass & Ladle in Grafton, MillStone Bread in Cobourg, Arrowmatic Food from Cobourg, The Awesome Olive in Cobourg, Rice Lake Hard Cider in Baltimore, Mi Cocina from Cobourg, Lalies & The Dutch in Cobourg, and Nutes Nutrition from Cobourg.

In this group, business owners have the opportunity to share ideas, best practices, strategies, and knowledge through peer-to-peer sessions, virtual coaching sessions, workshops, and business-to-business collaborations. Members also have access to micro grant and external funding notifications, online education, digital assessments, and development programs to enhance their business skills and help their business thrive.

“The BECN’s Food and Beverage CPG Development Group has helped me immensely with growing my business,” states Lucas Herron of Arrowmatic Food. “When I first joined the group, I was looking for a local facility to help manufacture my products. I was able to find this support through a partnership with another local business owner in the group. If it weren’t for this program, I never would’ve made this valuable connection, and would’ve been travelling over an hour and a half each month to produce our blends. I have gained a lot of value from this group, and would definitely recommend it to local food and beverage CPG businesses.”

The Food and Beverage CPG Development Group is open to small businesses and clients of the Ontario Agri-Food Venture Centre located in Northumberland. Businesses must be independent food and beverage CPG manufacturers or producers that have been in business for at least one year.

The BECN offers many additional programs and services to support small businesses in various stages and sectors of business. Through their free programs, clients can access workshops, resources, micro grants, coaching, networking opportunities and more.

To learn more about the Food and Beverage CPG Development Group, or other programs and services available for small business owners through the BECN, visit BECN.ca.

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1. Lucas Herron of Arrowmatic Food pictured with his Arrowmatic Churro spice blend and quote about his experience in the BECN Food & Beverage CPG Development Group.