2023-12-22 05:00:00
Two ex-bankers have just saved the pickle sector in Quebec. The new kings of fermented cucumbers first bought Putter’s, a 75-year-old company, then took over the factory of their bankrupt competitor.
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“We manufacture a quality product that all Quebecers must know,” assures John Tartaglia, installed at the controls of his factory in Sainte-Sophie, in the Laurentians.
The 50-year-old Italian-Quebecer left BMO with his colleague Daniel Jurkovic, a 39-year-old Serbian, to launch into the pickle business three years ago.
Putter’s was then run by the third generation of Goodz, the family who founded the company in 1948. The Goodz remained in the minority and still help the two friends make their way in the sector.
The rise of these newcomers in the world of agri-food accelerated this year, when Whyte’s Foods, more important potter of pickles in Canada, went bankrupt.
John and Daniel didn’t waste time: they put $10 million on the table to take over the Whyte’s factory in Saint-Louis, in Montérégie, at the end of October, as well as all the production of the 12 growers of processing cucumbers from Quebec.
“We are super happy,” says Pascal Forest, president of the board of Producers of processing vegetables of Quebec.
Pascal Forest photo provided by the PLTQ
Without them, he assures, the already difficult life of these 12 farmers would have been even more complicated.
“Whyte’s Foods was a little detached from local farmers. This is not the case with Putter’s,” rejoices the man who is himself a producer of six different crops and co-owner of a family farm.
“Best pickles in the world”
The acolytes killed two birds with one stone: they ensured an income for farmers here while relaunching production in Saint-Louis.
Putter’s has always manufactured for others – especially customers in the United States – in addition to supplying pickles to legendary restaurants like Schwartz’s Deli in Montreal.
Quebecers do not know the brand, because its jars are not sold in all grocery stores. But word of the bankers, all this will soon be history.
“We are in the process of finalizing our distribution contract. In 2024, we will be on all the shelves of IGAs and Metros,” assure John and Daniel.
The quality of their product fermented in water and salt without preservatives is unrivaled, they assure. Their pickles have “nothing to do” with those that come from India and “that we find everywhere”.
They talk regarding their “high quality local product made with local cucumbers” with so much pride that we immediately understand why they left BMO without regrets.
“We now hope to carve out a place for ourselves,” dreams Daniel.
Farmers are also dreaming big, now that Putter’s buys all of Quebec’s processing cucumbers.
“With 12 producers, we are at a minimum. These two guys risk making others want to take up cucumbers,” rejoices Pascal Forest.
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