Being nominated for the Canada Small Business 100 gave us a reason to tell you how Larry's Catch started.
Larry Creaser fished the waters off Nova Scotia his whole life.
He's our co-founder Glen's dad, and the reason this company exists.
Growing up, Glen learned from Larry what Canadian seafood is supposed to taste like: fresh off the boat, caught by people who know the water.
When Glen moved to Ontario, he went looking for that taste and couldn't find it.
The shelves were full of imported, thawed-and-refrozen fish with no clear connection to the people who caught it.
It didn't taste like home.
So three roommates from Queen's University set out to fix that.
We named the company after the fisherman who taught Glen what the good stuff tastes like.
Our idea is simple, and deliberately hard to compromise on:
Everything we sell is caught and packaged in Canada. No exceptions.
Today, that means working with 22+ independent Canadian fishing partners and making every box traceable right back to the boat.
In our second year, we've shipped 30,000+ boxes across a network that reaches 95%+ of Canadians.
Earlier this year, we pitched on CBC's Dragons' Den and walked out with three offers.
We're proud of all of that.
But the number we're proudest of is a different one.
In 2010, Larry was diagnosed with MS and had to give up the career that had defined his life.
So every tip our customers leave goes to MS Canada. We also donate a share of sales on Larry's birthday and during MS Awareness Month.
So far, you've helped us raise more than $11,000.
That's what Larry's Catch means to us.
It's about great Canadian seafood. It's about the independent fishermen and communities behind it. And, ultimately, it's about making sure the livelihoods and traditions that built this industry can stay here in Canada.
We're proud to be building a Canadian seafood company, but even more proud of the people and story behind it. Thanks for being along for the ride.
-- The Larry's Catch Crew