Supplier spotlight: New Toronto Food Co.

The food industry is made up of a complex group of partners. Each layer consists of hard-working people delivering fresh, healthy food: from farmers, to wholesalers, to restaurants, to family-friendly meal kits delivered each week (hi!).

Every so often, there’s an innovative new partner added to the mix. In this case, it’s the team at New Toronto Food Co.!

The New Toronto Food team

Founders Matt, Ezio, Claudio, Fabio, and Gus came together in 2017 to create a new concept to help restaurants and food service operators. At the time, labour wages were rising and fast-casual restaurants were growing across the city. The team was betting that businesses would need to outsource some of their food prep. By cutting out some of their tasks, their staff would be able to focus on more complex tasks. The result? A new business that delivers fresh, quality, pre-cut fruit and produce across the city.

A typical day at New Toronto Food Co.

The team rises early and gets to work at their 20,000 square foot Etobicoke warehouse. Each day they process more than 50,000 lbs of fresh fruits and vegetables, delivering the freshly-cut produce across the city. The team is able to save some major hours by doing the prep work of multiple restaurants and food services all at one production facility

Fresh broccoli from New Toronto Food Co.

Fighting climate change in the food industry

Food waste is a big contributor to climate change. It’s one of the reasons we only deliver what’s needed with your HelloFresh meal, helping you cut food waste by up to 36%. “We’re committed to fighting climate change with several sustainability initiatives we’ve put in place,” shares the New Toronto Food Co. team. “We’ve partnered with local livestock farms who re-purpose our food scraps into animal feed. This type of initiative is tough for individual restaurants to do, and having multiple trucks drive across the city to pick up scraps isn’t effective. By compiling all the food scraps together and working directly with the farms, we’re more efficient.”

Growing good partner relationships

The team of five already worked together at their sister company, Bondi Produce & Specialty Foods. The team shared a desire for transparency, respect, and honesty, which they bring to NTF. They treat their employees and partners fairly, and always look for a win-win solution. With both parties’ best interests in mind, they can create solid foundations for long-lasting relationships.

Sound refreshing? There’s a good chance you’ve already tried some of NTF’s pre-cut vegetables in your HelloFresh order! Our family-friendly meals, like Beef Banh Mi-Style Bowls, Breaded Parmesan Chicken Tenders with honey Dijonnaise and Roasted Broccoli, and Shawarma Beef Meatballs with Roasted Veggie Couscous and Feta Cheese often feature fresh produce right from New Toronto Food.

Shawarma Beef Meatballs with Roasted Veggie Couscous and Feta Cheese

Inspired by the classic Middle Eastern dish, this colourful meal blends flavours of savoury beef meatballs, fresh roasted veggies, and our favourite – copious amounts of salty feta cheese.

Beef Banh Mi-Style Bowls with Pickled Carrots and Cucumbers

A revamped version of the traditional banh mi sandwich, we’ve transformed it into a satisfying dinner for the whole family. Featuring the always-favourite sriracha mayo, saucy meat, and fluffy jasmine rice, it’s a Vietnamese-inspired bowl-full of flavours!

Breaded Parmesan Chicken Tenders with Honey Dijonnaise and Roasted Broccoli

It’s our spin on a kid-classic! We’ve coated super moist chicken strips with crispy parmesan for the perfect crunch. Complemented by smooth and creamy garlicky mashed potatoes, a fresh serving of roasted broccoli adds some colour and nutrient-rich goodness.

Enjoy crunching and munching know you’re supporting another small business that’s helping the food industry and supporting sustainable initiatives. Enjoy!