Troubled pickle maker bought

Brantford, Ont. – Pickle producer Strubs Food Corp. has been acquired by Whyte’s Food Corp., Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

Strubs filed notice in late April to make a proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, declaring that it was restructuring, and that it would not buy any cucumbers and hot peppers from Ontario producers this year. The announcement left many growers scrambling to find buyers.

Now that the company has been bought, says Better Farming, growers are optimistic that the Strub’s brand will continue. However, Whyte’s has yet to comment on the fate of the company’s Brantford, Ont. facility.

With offices in Montreal, Mississauga, Ont. and Vancouver, Whyte’s is one of the largest olive packers in North America. The company has already said it is too late to sign contracts with any Ontario growers for this year.

Whyte’s, which already has its own line of pickles, also manufactures sauces, cherries, condiments, relish and other ready-to-use food products, and imports a range of premium specialty foods.