Covered Bridge Potato Chips turn heads

Toronto, Ontario - Ryan Albright has been flitting across major retail markets, launching Covered Bridge potato chips grown and processed on his farm close to Canadas longest covered bridge near Waterville, New Brunswick.

His chips turned heads at the Grocery Innovations Canada show in Toronto recently because the industry-standard foil packaging is inside burlap bags.

Its an innovative way of connecting urban consumers with the farm in this market where many consumers want to know where their food comes from.

The chips are kettle-boiled in canola oil, which is another plus with many nutrition-conscious shoppers.

Albright started promoting long before his plant was scheduled to begin production at the end of November.

He was at the Natural Foods Expo at Boston just before flying in to Toronto with his sales manager, Krysten Scott.

And the day after the Toronto show closed, he was in Montreal for a tourism trade show where he aimed to interest bus-tour operators in adding a stop at his farm to their itineraries.

Grocery Innovations Canada is the largest trade show of its type in Canada, attracting all of the biggest supermarket chains and distribution companies.

Many suppliers choose the show to launch new products, suppliers such as Kraft, Nestle, Maple Leaf Foods, Agropur, Parmalat, Saputo, Proctor and Gamble.

Those who make equipment and provide services to supermarket chains are also prominent at the show that takes up acres of space at the Congress Centre near the Toronto international airport.