Intercity Packers Meat & Seafood (ICP), Canada’s leading supplier of premium quality meat and seafood products for the food service industry, celebrates their 50th Anniversary this year.
Founded in 1972 by Gary Mathies and Jim Sarangi, the company supplied beef, pork, lamb, chicken and game to local restaurants from a facility in what is today’s Olympic Village in Vancouver, BC. As the company grew, additional facilities in Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal expanded their reach.
In 2002, Intercity was acquired by Gordon Food Service, a national broadline foodservice distributor, significantly expanding Intercity’s ability to serve even more customers nationally.
“Building on Gary and Jim’s vision, we’ve continued to grow the Intercity Packers brand.” said Dean Noble, Gordon Food Service Chief Operating Officer. “With four strategically located plants supporting our customers coast-to-coast, ICP has enabled us to be a market leader in fresh meat and seafood for foodservice in Canada.”
In 2019, Intercity Packers and Albion Fisheries combined to become Intercity Packers Meat & Seafood. Together their capabilities propelled them to become the national leader across all categories of specialized protein products.
As Intercity celebrates a rich, 50-year history of entrepreneurship, growth, and commitment to excellence, it has also proven resilient, forging ahead amid economic, supply chain, environmental and staffing challenges, with their customers in clear focus.
“As we look forward, we’re excited about the opportunities Intercity Packers will bring to the marketplace through custom product development, innovative protein products, and new packaging solutions,” said Andrew Thomson, President of Gordon Food Service Specialty Companies. “We will also build on our success with recognized product brands like Certified Angus Beef, ensuring continued growth.
Intercity Packers has been known for forging new and innovative partnerships. For the past 25 years they have been the exclusive processor of Certified Angus Beef brand products in Western Canada. The brand was built on specifications that provide the most tender, juicy and flavourful beef for both food service customers and home consumers. Intercity has been known for providing portioned, ready-to-cook Certified Angus Beef products. They also offer pre-cooked products that are equally as high in quality with significant labour savings.
As labour challenges continue to challenge food service customers, Intercity continues to innovate, finding ways to develop more value-added solutions. Having multiple locations that span most of the country, they are able to produce high volumes of burger, blends, portions and patties with consistency — critical to customers who operate regionally or nationally. They also have the ability to produce partially fried, ready-to-cook products including breaded and stuffed chicken breasts, Porchetta roast, and Beef or Salmon Wellington.
“In addition to being the leader in supplying the highest quality meat and seafood products in Canada, we actively invest in efforts and partnerships focused on reducing environmental impact,” said Rob Robinson, Vice President of Gordon Food Service Specialty Companies. “We were a founding member of Sea Pact, we are a member of Ocean Wise, and this year we became an approved supplier of products that are certified by Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.”
Recognizing the pandemic generated demand for home delivery or contactless pick-up of groceries for both safety and convenience in 2020, the Richmond, BC, location launched a home consumer program under the name Shop Intercity. Their online store has steadily grown, now offering over 100 restaurant-quality meat and seafood products for local foodies to prepare their favorite restaurant dishes in the comfort of their own home. Shop Intercity was the first to offer beef products certified by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) to home consumers.
To learn more about Intercity Packers Meat & Seafood, visit www.intercitypackers.ca.
About Intercity Packers
In 1972, Intercity Packers Meat & Seafood started out providing beef, pork, lamb, chicken and game products to local restaurants. Today we are the leading supplier of the highest quality meat and seafood products to restaurants, healthcare and education customers across Canada. Our trained staff have years of experience in custom cutting of proteins and our manufacturing plants are federally inspected and fully licensed, employing the highest standards for food safety and quality assurance. With continuous innovation and the latest technology in the industry we provide safety, consistency, and leading-edge new products for our customers to meet evolving market trends and consumer preferences.
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