Two local entrepreneurs are making a name for themselves in the food industry.
Beck’s Broth, a powdered bone broth-based beverage, recently won an award at the Canadian Health Food Association’s West Expo in April.
Beckie Prime and Domenique Mastronardi are the brainchildren behind the drink, which is now available in stores across Canada.
CEO Prime said she first came up with the idea after working to improve her customers’ gut health.
“I recommend bone broth all the time. It's hard for my clients to introduce bone broth into their daily routine. It's not easy or intuitive for them,” Prime said.
Prime said her customers are looking for a drink with a more familiar taste, or one they might want to drink more often. So Prime added bone broth to the hot chocolate, a way she said would add nutrition to their diet while still tasting delicious.
The drink is different from your average protein powder because bone broth is a whole food, and Prime says you get all the vitamins, minerals, and collagen from it, but it’s easier for your body to digest.
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Plus, she said, it uses clean ingredients.
Prime, a holistic nutritionist in Waterloo who returned to school during the pandemic, also hired Mastronardi, a University of Guelph alumna, as chief operating officer.
Mastronardi said partnering with Prime was a smart move.
“It’s been cool to bring a different perspective to this operation, more of a numbers-focused approach, putting the pieces of the puzzle together from the backend,” Mastronardi said.
The two recently received the “One to Watch Award,” and Prime said she didn't expect them to win. She said it was an honor to be nominated.
Mastronardi said they have hired two employees. The drinks come in two flavors, coffee and hot chocolate, and are currently sold in about 100 stores across Canada, including Market Fresh in Guelph.
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Prime said the response from retailers has been overwhelmingly positive, which has given her more confidence in herself as an entrepreneur.
She said their brand focuses on storytelling and authenticity.
“When people think about starting and growing a business, they think it's very difficult and daunting, and that you have to follow these strict rules all the time. But our team is having fun every day, and we're breaking that social norm,” she said.
Prime said they recently announced they have finalized the recipe and artwork for a third flavor, which will be released in July.
She also said they currently sell the product in single-serve packaging but hope to offer bulk supplies by the end of 2024.
“We’re always working hard to innovate and improve our products, so the next two things are coming,” she said.
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