Jennifer Carlson and Jill Vos have long dreamt of taking over the baby food market and are well on their way of seeing their dream coming to fruition. The organic baby food line, Baby Gourmet, grew from humble beginnings when the siblings, both mothers, began creating nutritious ways to feed their children.
A few years ago, the pair started selling their line of high quality baby food products out of a weekend kiosk at the Calgary Farmers' Market.
Customer response to the product was overwhelming. Carlson and Vos found financial backers and started making their recipes on a much bigger scale.
The siblings say the quality of their product is the reason it has found an audience.
“A lot of competitors put in starch, like a tapioca starch or a corn starch, they even add flours,” explains Jennifer Carlson. “If you add flour and water it thickens it, so it reduces the cost.”
“We don't do that. We just like the whole ingredients.”
Walmart was the first grocer to carry their 'Baby Gourmet' line and now it's carried in nearly every grocery store in the country.
Baby Gourmet has expanded to include:
- Baby Gourmet Plus - a product line consisting of all four food groups
- Squoosh – servings of fruit and vegetable in a pouch
- Kids Gourmet – a product line targeting children between the ages of 6 and 12 (expected to be released in 2014)
(With files from Tara Nelson)
