A local brand that started in an Okanagan College classroom will now continue under the company that helped the students bring their idea to life.
The Enactus Okanagan College team announced last week that the Unusually Good Food Company has been licensed to Okanagan Beverage Co.
“This is a full-circle moment, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s next,” said Michaela Dew, president of Enactus OC.
The Enactus program at OC is a non-profit organization that sees students develop business ideas and compete against their colleagues and other schools in business competitions.
The Unusually Good Food Company began by making apple chips from imperfect fruit as a way to prevent food waste. The apple chips were then donated to schools across Canada and food banks around the world.
“As the idea grew, so did the impact. The team launched a juice line to help fund their social enterprise model,” stated a press release.
“In 2022, that small classroom idea turned into something bigger than anyone imagined. The Enactus OC team became the Enactus Canada national champions and proudly represented their country on the world stage in Puerto Rico, placing in the top four at the world competition.”
Unusually Good juice then made its way to the shelves in 11 Loblaws stores across Western Canada.
“This brand means a lot to us,” added Dew.
“But we always knew it was bigger than us. After all the support we’ve had from the community, It’s only right that Unusually Good continues in the hands of people who believed in it from the start.”
Alongside the students from the start was Okanagan Beverage Co., which helped bottle the first batches of juice and helped scale production for grocery store shelves.
"The Enactus team captured the essence of what we already do in this brand," said Kristen Trovato, owner of Okanagan Beverage Co.
“The mission behind Unusually Good — to turn food waste into opportunity — is something we believe in deeply. We’re honoured to carry this vision forward and continue making juice that does good.”
Okanagan Beverage Co. has committed to donate one per cent of all Unusually Good sales to the Enactus OC program.
