It's not just flour flying off the shelves. Popcorn seed orders are exploding!
Uncle Bob’s popcorn has seen their online sales quadruple while people are stuck at home
With movie theatres closed and people staying at home binging a series or watching a flick, popcorn sales have taken off for one of Ontario's largest producers.
Kernel grower Ontario Popping Corn Company, better known as Uncle Bob's Popping Corn, has seen online sales skyrocket since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
"I would say our online sales have probably tripled to quadrupled," said Livia Townsend, co-owner of Ontario Popping Corn Company, based in Norfolk County.
Ontarians have stocked up on a few key items since emergency orders were put in place, including toilet paper and flour.
And if popcorn is the new flour, Townsend says the family run business that's been around since 1985 will keep up.
"We're kind of unique because we not only grow the yellow popping corn you commonly see on the grocery store shelves, we grow red, blue, purple and a white hull-less variety," said Townsend.
While they offer online sales and curbside pickup, their products are also sold in grocery stores, farmers markets and local stores across Ontario. They're also shipping their kernels as far as Europe, Israel and Japan.
Craving theatre popcorn?
While movie theatres were forced to go dark to slow the spread of COVID-19, some movie theatres are still popping corn.
Hyland Cinema, London's oldest movie theatre, is hosting a Popcorn Day, where people can order a bag of theatre-style popcorn online and pick it up curbside.
Are you eating more popcorn at home? Share your tips and tricks to popping the perfect bowl of popcorn in the comments below.