Two ex-bankers have just saved the pickle sector in Quebec. The new kings of fermented cucumbers first bought Putter’s, a 75-year-old company, then took over the factory of their bankrupt competitor.
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“We manufacture a quality local product,” assures John Tartaglia, installed at the helm of his factory in Sainte-Sophie, in the Laurentians.
The 50-year-old Italian-Quebecer left BMO with his colleague Daniel Jurkovic, a 39-year-old Serbian, to launch into the pickle business three years ago.
Founded in 1948, Putter’s was then run by the Goodz family, whose third generation is still helping the two friends make their way.
The rise of newcomers in the world of agri-food accelerated at the end of October, when Aliments Whyte’s, the largest pickle player in Canada, went bankrupt.
John and Daniel then paid $10 million for the Whyte’s factory in Montérégie as well as for all the processing cucumbers from the 12 growers who make them in Quebec.
“We’re super happy,” says Pascal Forest, president of the board of Transformation Vegetable Producers of Quebec.
Pascal Forest
photo provided by the PLTQ
The economic health of these 12 farmers had become fragile, because “Whyte’s Foods was a little detached from local farmers.”
“Best pickles in the world”
Putter’s has always manufactured for others – especially customers in the United States – in addition to supplying pickles to legendary restaurants like Schwartz’s Deli in Montreal.
Its pots are not sold everywhere, Quebecers know little about them. Word from bankers, this will soon be ancient history.
“In 2024, we will be on all the shelves of IGAs and Metros,” assure John and Daniel.
Their product ferments in water and salt without preservatives, their pickles have “nothing to do” with those that come from India and are found everywhere.
“We want to carve out a place for ourselves, so that Quebecers know us,” Daniel dreams.
Farmers dream too, now that Putter’s buys all their cucumbers.
“With 12 producers, we are at a minimum. It might make others want to try cucumbers,” rejoices Pascal Forest.