Walking the show floor at CHFA Now show in Toronto September 26-27 I had my eye out for the brands that stood out! All of the brands at the show are phenomenal industry leaders but these are the brands which went out of their way to grab my attention and made me take a second look.
Here are my picks for top brands at CHFA East…
Kick Ass Caramels
Handmade in Stony Plain, AB, just west of Edmonton, make small-batch gourmet caramels with a short ingredient list! The caramels are made of real Canadian butter and cream, sugar, and corn syrup. No chemical fillers and no preservatives here. Soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth caramels my whole family devoured first. Salted is the crowd favourite for a reason… buttery caramel with a hit of salt. At the show I tried Rum & Butter, Canadian Maple, and London Fog flavors. They’re made in a peanut- and gluten-free facility, individually wrapped, and easy to gift, or pack as a special treat in school lunches. Shop them atkickasscaramels.com.
Handmade in Stony Plain, AB, just west of Edmonton, make small-batch gourmet caramels with a short ingredient list! The caramels are made of real Canadian butter and cream, sugar, and corn syrup. No chemical fillers and no preservatives here. Soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth caramels my whole family devoured first. Salted is the crowd favourite for a reason… buttery caramel with a hit of salt. At the show I tried Rum & Butter, Canadian Maple, and London Fog flavors. They’re made in a peanut- and gluten-free facility, individually wrapped, and easy to gift, or pack as a special treat in school lunches. Shop them atkickasscaramels.com.
Stoked Oats!
https://www.stokedoats.com/ is Calgary-born, and Saskatchewan-grown. Stoked Oats turns regenerative Canadian oats into high-protein, high fibre, low-sugar breakfasts and oat-based foods, like oat rice! We served it up in a burrito and it was a BIG HIT at the show. Their products are Organic, gluten-free, glyphosate-free, and rain-fed through their Grain From Rain program. Best brand at CHFA East if you are into innovative alternatives to rice or pasta!
Fusion Protein
https://fusionprotein.com/ Forget a shaker bottle. Fusion Protein is a 100 ml shot with 21 g of beta-lactoglobulin whey, zero sugar, and a fruit-forward finish that tastes more like a fountain drink than a gym product. For anyone who wants quick shots of protein this is it!
https://fusionprotein.com/ Forget a shaker bottle. Fusion Protein is a 100 ml shot with 21 g of beta-lactoglobulin whey, zero sugar, and a fruit-forward finish that tastes more like a fountain drink than a gym product. For anyone who wants quick shots of protein this is it!
Sunshine Farms
https://picklesplease.ca/ Adrian Jaques still grows asparagus in Thamesville and pickles it the same week it comes out of the field. No fillers! They offer organic and traditional jars of asparagus, beans, beets, cukes, and the Caesar kit that disappears quick. Best brand at the show for the farm that stays true to it’s roots.
https://picklesplease.ca/ Adrian Jaques still grows asparagus in Thamesville and pickles it the same week it comes out of the field. No fillers! They offer organic and traditional jars of asparagus, beans, beets, cukes, and the Caesar kit that disappears quick. Best brand at the show for the farm that stays true to it’s roots.
Solly’s Craft Soda
https://drinksollys.com/Made in Canada, low sugar, prebiotic fibre, nothing artificial. Black Cherry & Lime, Strawberry & Vanilla, Raspberry & Lemon, Pineapple & Yuzu, Kosher Dill & Lime, but at the show I got a chance to try the wild KD Cream Soda collab. It really reminded me of a creamcicle. I liked it! With only about 45–60 calories a can, I had to put this on the Best brand at CHFA list for being natural soda that still tastes sweet!
https://drinksollys.com/Made in Canada, low sugar, prebiotic fibre, nothing artificial. Black Cherry & Lime, Strawberry & Vanilla, Raspberry & Lemon, Pineapple & Yuzu, Kosher Dill & Lime, but at the show I got a chance to try the wild KD Cream Soda collab. It really reminded me of a creamcicle. I liked it! With only about 45–60 calories a can, I had to put this on the Best brand at CHFA list for being natural soda that still tastes sweet!
Prime Roots
https://www.primeroots.com/ Prime roots is a big hit. CRISPY PLANT BASED BACON on a club that tasted like the real deal. They had Koji-grown “Safe Slice” roast beef, salami, turkey, and Black Forest ham – all plant based and delicious. Their products contain no soy, no gluten, no hidden nitrates. They bill it as clean cold cuts that hold up in a sandwich and in a blind tasting against conventional deli. Best brand at CHFA East for finally giving the deli case a vegige-based option that tastes LIKE THE REAL DEAL!
https://www.primeroots.com/ Prime roots is a big hit. CRISPY PLANT BASED BACON on a club that tasted like the real deal. They had Koji-grown “Safe Slice” roast beef, salami, turkey, and Black Forest ham – all plant based and delicious. Their products contain no soy, no gluten, no hidden nitrates. They bill it as clean cold cuts that hold up in a sandwich and in a blind tasting against conventional deli. Best brand at CHFA East for finally giving the deli case a vegige-based option that tastes LIKE THE REAL DEAL!
Carrick Bros.
https://carrickbros.com/ I told the boys this is how you know if you’re a real Canadian: you wake up and take shots of maple syrup for breakfast! The brothers tap 46,000 organic maples in South Algonquin, bottle single-forest batches, and even age some of it in bourbon, apple brandy, and tequila barrels. Best brand at the show for sure… their pure maple syrup is exceptional and memorable.
https://carrickbros.com/ I told the boys this is how you know if you’re a real Canadian: you wake up and take shots of maple syrup for breakfast! The brothers tap 46,000 organic maples in South Algonquin, bottle single-forest batches, and even age some of it in bourbon, apple brandy, and tequila barrels. Best brand at the show for sure… their pure maple syrup is exceptional and memorable.
Lymphology Skincare (Angelone Health)
https://www.lymphologyskincare.com/
https://www.angelonehealth.com/ Maddie Simone, RMT and certified lymphedema therapist, built Canada’s first skincare line for the lymphatic system after losing her brothers. Arnica, organic aloe, tea tree, and lotus root water in formulas meant for swelling, recovery, and everyday lymph flow. Best brand at CHFA East because the product was designed by someone who has actually treated the condition.
https://www.lymphologyskincare.com/
https://www.angelonehealth.com/ Maddie Simone, RMT and certified lymphedema therapist, built Canada’s first skincare line for the lymphatic system after losing her brothers. Arnica, organic aloe, tea tree, and lotus root water in formulas meant for swelling, recovery, and everyday lymph flow. Best brand at CHFA East because the product was designed by someone who has actually treated the condition.
Avafina Organics
https://www.avafina.com/Chiaviar, Chia + Olive, Chia + Tomato. Laura Cuñer DuBois turned chia and seaweed into a savoury spread! This spread eats like a superfood. Plant-based omega-3s, fibre, and umami without dairy.
https://www.avafina.com/Chiaviar, Chia + Olive, Chia + Tomato. Laura Cuñer DuBois turned chia and seaweed into a savoury spread! This spread eats like a superfood. Plant-based omega-3s, fibre, and umami without dairy.
Blue Stop Max
https://bluestopmax.com/Organic aloe, natural menthol, emu oil, glucosamine, and vitamin E in a pump that already lives at Amazon, CVS, Walmart, Wegmans, Albertsons, Meijer, H-E-B, and Food Lion.
https://bluestopmax.com/Organic aloe, natural menthol, emu oil, glucosamine, and vitamin E in a pump that already lives at Amazon, CVS, Walmart, Wegmans, Albertsons, Meijer, H-E-B, and Food Lion.
Morning Breath
https://morning-breath.com/A better kind of gum, full stop. Sugar-free, aspartame-free xylitol gum with vitamin D3 and B12 in every piece — five chews cover a daily dose, which is a gift in a Canadian winter. Gotta check out their brand of tasty mint gum.
https://morning-breath.com/A better kind of gum, full stop. Sugar-free, aspartame-free xylitol gum with vitamin D3 and B12 in every piece — five chews cover a daily dose, which is a gift in a Canadian winter. Gotta check out their brand of tasty mint gum.
FEAD (Female Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food Development)
https://www.fead.ca/Not a jar OR on a shelf, rather, this is a national nonprofit that has helped thousands of women food founders get from idea to plant to retailer.
https://www.fead.ca/Not a jar OR on a shelf, rather, this is a national nonprofit that has helped thousands of women food founders get from idea to plant to retailer.
Cure Superfoods
https://www.curesuperfoods.ca/Akashni and Kunika… known as the sea moss sisters … turned Kunika’s bloating and skin issues into Ontario-made gels in mango, apple pie, and elderberry. Third-party heavy-metal tested, honey-sweetened, no preservatives. Best brand at CHFA East because the founders are still the ones explaining why two tablespoons in a smoothie changed their week.
https://www.curesuperfoods.ca/Akashni and Kunika… known as the sea moss sisters … turned Kunika’s bloating and skin issues into Ontario-made gels in mango, apple pie, and elderberry. Third-party heavy-metal tested, honey-sweetened, no preservatives. Best brand at CHFA East because the founders are still the ones explaining why two tablespoons in a smoothie changed their week.
Better Battery Co.
https://www.betterbattery.co/ The morning of CHFA I could not get my Apple wireless bluetooth keyboard to pair. Every AA battery I tried just wasn’t cutting it. I turned to my husband and said “I need to find a Better Battery”.
https://www.betterbattery.co/ The morning of CHFA I could not get my Apple wireless bluetooth keyboard to pair. Every AA battery I tried just wasn’t cutting it. I turned to my husband and said “I need to find a Better Battery”.
Serendipitously, at the show I ran into Jaclyn Byles and her sister… who built the first certified carbon-neutral alkaline battery with plastic-free packaging and a prepaid recycling loop. Also a Greenhouse brand: best batteries ever, made less wasteful. Best brand at the show for allowing me to finally pair my bluetooth keyboard! Thank you so much! The batteries were just what I needed!
MORE TOP BRANDS SPOTTED AT CHFA NOW
Puroleo (Pureoyl Healthcare)
https://puroleo.ca/Vaishali Ashok’s Cornwall facility turns out jojoba, argan, shea, essential oils, and other raw materials with Health Canada site licensing and organic certification underway.
https://puroleo.ca/Vaishali Ashok’s Cornwall facility turns out jojoba, argan, shea, essential oils, and other raw materials with Health Canada site licensing and organic certification underway.
Sense Naturals — Balance Ayurvedic Blend
https://sensenaturals.ca/The Globe and Mail called it “A Cup of Healing,” and the tin looks like it belongs on a kitchen counter, not a supplement aisle. Ten synergistic ingredients — turmeric, ginger, tulsi, cacao, matcha, rose, beet, steeped with lemon and honey.
Mary’s Muffins
https://marysmuffins.com/ Mary Legakis Engel left a consulting career to bake muffins she would feed her own toddler: whole-grain flours, maple syrup, olive oil, no refined sugar, no fillers. Whole wheat, gluten-free, vegan, and keto options that freeze well. Best brand at the show for the snack that is totally guilt free!
Pascoe Canada
https://pascoe.ca/Family-owned since 1895, German-made, Canadian-distributed herbal and homeopathic lines with real NPNs and DIN-HMs. Pascoflair’s passionflower extract is now in my cupboard and I am super excited to try their products. This is a familiar brand I know and love!
SoapStones Natural Skincare
https://soapstones.ca/David McLean’s Huntsville shop has been making small-batch soaps, butters, and cleansers since 1998 — vegetable oils, shea, clays, essential oils, vegan and cruelty-free.
https://soapstones.ca/David McLean’s Huntsville shop has been making small-batch soaps, butters, and cleansers since 1998 — vegetable oils, shea, clays, essential oils, vegan and cruelty-free.
Wellex — Creatine Well
https://wellex.co/product/creatine-well/“Creatine, made smarter” means a scoop of ultra-pure creatine plus Cognizin® citicoline and Sharp-PS® phosphatidylserine for brain and body, with no sugar, stimulants, or flavours.
https://wellex.co/product/creatine-well/“Creatine, made smarter” means a scoop of ultra-pure creatine plus Cognizin® citicoline and Sharp-PS® phosphatidylserine for brain and body, with no sugar, stimulants, or flavours.
Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre
https://www.foodcentre.sk.ca/Emily Nickel’s team is the quiet engine behind a shocking number of the new Canadian products on this floor… pilot plant, product development, and commercialization.
Best Brands at CHFA NOW – Check out these hit brands!
7th Heaven is the booth that makes self-care look easy. The UK family brand behind 7th Heaven
https://my7thheaven.com/ makes face and hair masks since 1985 — vegan, vegetarian, and cruelty-free, with PETA recognizing the brand. What stands out on a crowded show floor is the mix of fun and function. Face masks come as peel-offs, clays, bubbles, and sheet masks packed with recognizable ingredients: Dead Sea clay, cucumber, coconut, pink guava, charcoal, Manuka honey, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C. They’re built for glow, hydration, and a clearer complexion without a luxury price tag. Hair gets the same treatment. The Rescue lineup is simple to merchandize: Coconut for dry, thirsty hair; Manuka Honey for damaged roots and ends; Argan Oil for frizz and shine. 7th Heaven belongs on a “best of CHFA NOW” list and my young daughter also loves these masks!
https://my7thheaven.com/ makes face and hair masks since 1985 — vegan, vegetarian, and cruelty-free, with PETA recognizing the brand. What stands out on a crowded show floor is the mix of fun and function. Face masks come as peel-offs, clays, bubbles, and sheet masks packed with recognizable ingredients: Dead Sea clay, cucumber, coconut, pink guava, charcoal, Manuka honey, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C. They’re built for glow, hydration, and a clearer complexion without a luxury price tag. Hair gets the same treatment. The Rescue lineup is simple to merchandize: Coconut for dry, thirsty hair; Manuka Honey for damaged roots and ends; Argan Oil for frizz and shine. 7th Heaven belongs on a “best of CHFA NOW” list and my young daughter also loves these masks!
7th Heaven
Salad Hero Protein Boosters – Follow on Instagram!
These are plant-forward protein add-ins meant to turn a salad into a meal.
Introducing PROTEIN BOOSTERS by Salad Hero! Adding protein to your meals is easy. Turn everyday meals into protein-packed favourites! Protein Boosters by Salad Hero are a crunchy, ready-to-enjoy blend that adds texture, flavour, and plant-powered protein to every bite! An easy and delicious way to boost your salads, bowls, soups, wraps, and so much more!! Protein Boosters will be available to purchase very soon stay tuned!
Turpone Foods
https://turponefoods.com/Joe Turturici’s Montreal company commercializes food and food-adjacent products, from outdoor pizza ovens to brand scale-up. Best brand-behind-the-brands at CHFA East because their crispy pizza was one of the best I’d ever tried!
https://turponefoods.com/Joe Turturici’s Montreal company commercializes food and food-adjacent products, from outdoor pizza ovens to brand scale-up. Best brand-behind-the-brands at CHFA East because their crispy pizza was one of the best I’d ever tried!
Drastic Drink
https://www.drasticdrink.com/Canadian functional hydration for the morning after the workout, the flight, or the late night. Raspberry Hibiscus and Mango Passionfruit, stacked with electrolytes, vitamins, herbs, and amino acids. Best brand at CHFA East for recovery that tastes expensive without tasting medicinal.
Elec’trik Kids
https://get-electrik.com/ Two Canadian moms (Laura of Tealish and nutritionist Carmen) made a kids’ electrolyte powder with coconut water as the first ingredient, ~2 g natural sugars, natural colours from beet, spirulina, and beta-carotene, and not much sugar at all. Stir into cold water. Best brand at CHFA East for an electrolyte drink kids actually love.
https://get-electrik.com/ Two Canadian moms (Laura of Tealish and nutritionist Carmen) made a kids’ electrolyte powder with coconut water as the first ingredient, ~2 g natural sugars, natural colours from beet, spirulina, and beta-carotene, and not much sugar at all. Stir into cold water. Best brand at CHFA East for an electrolyte drink kids actually love.
Stellar Eats
https://stellareats.com/ Michelle Boigon and co-founders Stella Vanstone and Emma Kula built grain-free, gluten-free, refined-sugar-free baking mixes with eight ingredients or less…. banana bread, brownies, cookies, pizza dough, mug cakes.
https://stellareats.com/ Michelle Boigon and co-founders Stella Vanstone and Emma Kula built grain-free, gluten-free, refined-sugar-free baking mixes with eight ingredients or less…. banana bread, brownies, cookies, pizza dough, mug cakes.
From trying an iconic Kraft Dinner cream soda to eating a burrito perfectly grilled with Stoked Oats oat rice filling, I had a great time seeing all the best brands at CHFA. I didn’t have a chance to see all the booths at the show, it is a massive 2 day show! Be sure to visit CHFA Now for a full show program!
SEE MORE OF MY CHFA COVERAGE FROM PREVIOUS YEARS
(SEE WHAT BRANDS ARE STILL GOING STRONG)
(SEE WHAT BRANDS ARE STILL GOING STRONG)
TOP BRANDS AT CHFA
BEST OF CHFA
CHFA WEST
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