Real Food Connections opens new kitchen, cold storage to food producers

Real Food Connections in Fredericton has officially opened its new kitchen and cold storage, which will help give local food producers a new way to get their products to market.

Farmers, community groups and others will be able to use the government-funded facilities to prepare food for domestic sale and export, said company founder Levi Lawrence.

"Every time we talked to people before, it was, 'Why don't you do more food in local schools? Why don't you do all this different stuff I see at farmers' markets, like jams and jellies, and more of these products I see in my local corner store? And the reality was, this piece was missing," he said.

"We didn't have a food-safe, licensed, regulated place to play with food, to alter it, to extend shelf life. So going forward in this new facility, what excites me most is that there is no such thing as, 'This isn't possible.'"

The company received $27,260 under the federal government's Assurance Systems Program and $10,840 under the Market Development, Product Enhancement and Diversification Program. Opportunities NB provided $16,890 to support capital costs.

Real Food Connections also operates a retail facility specializing in New Brunswick-produced food and beverages and promotes local food and food sustainability through its food-box delivery program.