Founder Spotlight: Chantal Bekhor of VG Gourmet
Meet Chantal Bekhor
Ten years ago, Chantal Bekhor set out to make veggie burgers the way you would at home: real vegetables, beans, walnuts, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh herbs, chopped and spiced by hand rather than engineered to mimic meat. A decade on, her Montreal company, VG Gourmet, is sold frozen in grocery stores across Canada, including Costco, and its entire line is vegan, gluten-free, and kosher. Her approach is summed up in the brand's own line: it's not just plant-based, it's just plants. To mark the 10-year milestone, VG Gourmet is launching a new burger, Beet Power, made with fresh beets and black beans.
Company:
VG Gourmet Vegetarian Food Inc.
VG Gourmet is about making better plant-based products with healthier, more gourmet ingredients. We are not about fake meat — we are 100% real food!
Location:
Montreal, Quebec
When did you launch the business?
2015
Startup Stage?
Bootstrapped
What led you to where you are today?
People appreciate the high quality offered by VG Gourmet and the very unique and different approach compared to other products on the market. We start with real, fresh ingredients like vegetables, herbs, beans, walnuts, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh jalapenos. We prepare them the same way you would in your own kitchen. We even chop our fresh vegetables and herbs ourselves and grind our own spice blends to create the perfect balance of flavour, and that is how our veggie burgers are made!
What do you wish you knew before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?
Just how much work and dedication is actually involved in running a company like ours! From the outside it seems simple: once you get the company running, it runs. But as entrepreneurs we are working 24/7! Vacation... what's that?
What is the most difficult decision you've had to make regarding your business so far?
Moving into a larger facility and getting HACCP certifications. A few years into our business, we saw the demand increasing and we knew there was potential opportunity to grow and get listed in some national grocery chains. This involved moving our entire production into a new facility, renovating to HACCP standards, and many other costs. It was a very difficult decision, but we knew that if we wanted to grow, it needed to be done! Costco and many other chains would not have been an option without this move!
What can you help the VEGPRENEUR community with?
Some insights into the vegan business world. I am happy to offer mentorship or help with different news articles or information.
How can the VEGPRENEUR community help you?
Exposure! We are a small brand with big dreams! We know that the VEGPRENEUR community is our target market, so exposure of our brand to your readers would help tremendously.
Fun fact about you:
My favourite ways to relax: baking and boxing!
Anything else you would like to share?
It's VG Gourmet's 10-year anniversary, and to celebrate, we are launching a new and exciting veggie burger: Beet Power! Made with fresh beets and black beans, it provides 19g of protein and 10g of fibre per patty. Great on the BBQ!
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