As we continue to shine a light on our outstanding local suppliers across British Columbia, it was an absolute pleasure to connect with Earl Ellingson, Chief Popper, at his family-run business, NoochPOP.
We spoke to Earl about what sparked the idea for NoochPOP, the impact of Safeway’s support, and what’s on the horizon for this growing company.
Earl, can you share a little bit about your background and how your company came to be?
My wife Trish and I are food industry veterans, having built and sold an energy bar company. When our vegan(ish) friends introduced us to nutritional yeast (nooch) and recommended we sprinkle it on popcorn, we were hooked! It’s a unique, smooth, golden, creamy, cheesy, delicious ingredient.
After our “nooch aha moment,” we saw a business opportunity. After much research, we learned that no one in the grocery business had a nutritional yeast popcorn product. So, we decided to partner with our three daughters (aka The Nooch Girls) to sell organic fresh-popped popcorn seasoned with nooch and, voila… NoochPOP was born, right here in Vancouver!
Can you tell us more about NoochPOP’s products?
NoochPOP is organic popcorn sold in ready to eat 120g bags. The hero core ingredient of every bag is nutritional yeast (aka nooch) which is a golden yellow seasoning loaded with B vitamins, fiber, and protein. It tastes very cheesy, but is vegan.
You may also be wondering how nutritional yeast is made? Well, it’s grown in a glucose-rich environment, usually sugarcane or beet molasses. The yeast is then heated to become inactive (not baker’s or brewer’s yeast), then fermented, harvested, washed, pasteurized and dried to a golden yellow flake or powder.
NoochPOP is currently available in five flavours: Kinda Nacho & Cheesy, Kinda Cheesy, Kinda Chili Lime & Cheesy, Kinda Garlic & Cheesy, and Kinda Sweet & Savoury.
As your business began to grow, why were you interested in working with Safeway?
Our goal is to be where our customers are — so Safeway was an obvious choice to meet the needs of people looking for healthier snacks during every grocery shopping trip.
What did it feel like when you saw your products on Safeway shelves for the first time?
As sole owners of the business, it’s always with parental pride when we see our products on the shelves at Safeway. And we often can’t help it… but there’s times we organize our products on the shelves to make sure everything looks good.
What makes you most proud to partner with Safeway?
Safeway is a legacy, top retail partner. So, if we can sell here where everybody knows the shopping experience is about quality products, then we’re confident we’ll be successful.
What growth has NoochPOP seen since partnering with Safeway?
We’ve seen an upward spike in our sales. Now, our job is to continue making the best product and getting it placed in the best locations in store.
What’s next for you and your business?
We’re looking at adding more flavours to our offering as well as expanding our business into eastern Canada and the United States. Beyond that, we’re also looking at other products that nutritional yeast could make even better!
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We’re so proud to partner with hundreds of local suppliers to not only bring the best products to our stores, but invest in our own local communities. These brightly coloured bags are available in 23 Safeway stores and in 25 Thrifty Foods locations in B.C. Keep an eye out the next time you’re in store!
Stay tuned to Safeway Talks for more Safeway Local Supplier Spotlights soon.
Guided by our four Values, we know that Safeway teammates are going above and beyond every day to support our customers, communities and one another. Teammates who put these ideals into action and inspire others to do the same should be recognized and celebrated.