Mike Williamson, CEO and William Collins, chairman of Cascadia Seaweed
SIDNEY — The room at the Cascadia Seaweed headquarters erupted with cheers and excitement when the winner of the innovation category at the BC Food and Beverage awards was announced on Thursday, September 24.
After the busy workday, the team gathered back at the office in Sidney to relax, enjoy a plant-based dinner and to watch the much anticipated BC Food and Beverage virtual awards ceremony.
Even though the company is only just over a year old, they are not new to the attention. Cascadia has received recognition in a Time Magazine article, been noted as one of Greater Victoria’s 10 to Watch Businesses of 2020 by Douglas Magazine, and has received Vancouver Island’s Best Ocean Products of the Year award from the Business Examiner magazine. All this while the first commercial product is still in development.
“The excitement is in the idea,” says Chairman Bill Collins. “It’s because we are doing something revolutionary here on Canada’s west coast. We’re doing it at scale and in partnership with First Nations communities. This is just the beginning,” he says standing in front of his team with a proud grin.
“It was an honour to be showcased alongside some amazing BC Food and Beverage producers, and I really noticed a theme of sustainability and plant-based nutrition throughout the presentations,” said Desiree Dupuis, VP Sales & Marketing of Cascadia Seaweed, which sparked her own enthusiasm to seek a nomination in the Brand of the Year category at next year’s awards.
Cascadia Seaweed earned the innovation title based on their method of sustainably cultivating seaweed for food in the ocean…but there is much more innovation in their future. As they complete development of their consumer-packaged food products, they expect to expand consumers’ acceptance of seaweed and make it a staple in North American households.
Dupuis alluded to the fact that she knows what the brand name for their products will be, but she was careful not to announce that idea just yet. Expect to hear more from Cascadia on that front in the coming months.
