It is approximated that more than 4 million people in North America are allergic to peanuts or their derivatives. It is such a dangerous allergy that nearly every school and community food service has banned the use of any type of nut product within its boundaries. But where does that leave a generation of parents who grew up on the staple of PB & J sandwiches?
Joe St. Denis is all about improving that standard. And when it comes to entrepreneuring an alternative approach to peanut butter, he’s your man. NoNuts Golden Peabutter, yes ‘pea’ butter, is produced right here in Alberta’s own backyard and is dramatically changing the way people think about bread spreads.
As the saying goes, necessity was indeed the mother of invention for St. Denis, born and raised here “for 57 years!” he notes. When grain prices hit bottom in 1985, many farmers looked to raising alternative crops as a means of survival. St. Denis started with fava beans and five acres of peas. He was a pioneer in his field, no pun intended, and became somewhat of a teacher to other farmers here and around the world on the subject of growing and marketing pea crops. In fact, while coming back from a business trip in Tunisia, the idea of Peabutter was formed. St. Denis had a layover in Toronto and his first experience with the chickpea dish, hummus. Most people would have simply enjoyed the food but for St. Denis the gears were already turning.
He had discovered a variety of pea that turned brown, instead of green, when ripe. After three years of trial and error (and still learning, he admits), this special pea became the main ingredient in Peabutter. When mixed with a bit of canola oil and icing sugar, the spread is exactly identical to its allergy reactive cousin, peanut butter, in both look and taste. So much so that St. Denis recommends that “parents should include a note if their children take Peabutter sandwiches to school, just so no one gets in trouble.” Currently, he is debating adding a food colour to make the spread more distinguishable from regular peanut butter. “I’m not really keen on food dyes, though” he adds, relating keeping his product pure against the marketing failure of the green and purple Heinz ketchup.
Creating public awareness is St. Denis’s number one challenge. He knew he had a good sell, but he was being turned down time and again from the food manufacturers, seven in total. And despite a unique product that definitely fulfills a need, St. Denis has never been able to receive funding from the provincial government.
That being said, when the going got tough, St. Denis got going…to the Farmer’s Market. He struck out to become the manufacturer and marketer, financial backer and spokesman. A regular one-man band, if you will. He expresses a warning here, “Make sure that your family is one hundred percent behind you, because this type of a venture takes a toll on not only you, but your family and your bank account.”
But the hard work is paying off, slowly but surely. NoNuts Golden Peabutter won three out of four awards at the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors last year, including the prestigious titles of Best New Product and Best Innovation. St. Denis also notes with pride in his voice that Peabutter just recently took home the Canadian Agriculture Food of Excellence award as well. Other numerous awards are listed at www.peabutter.ca. He has expanded Peabutter into eastern Canada and is looking forward to breaking into the United States market within the year.
“The real reward, though” he says humbly, “is the notes I get from parents of children with peanut allergies thanking me. It’s wonderful to know that someone who couldn’t enjoy the simplicity of a peanut butter sandwich now can.”
The simple pleasures. Sounds like a true Albertan.
The back of the card didn’t scan up very well because it’s a washout of the front design with some more encouragement (harassment) to have people contact me for an interview.
