Alia Sunderji
VFR: Alia, tell us about yourself as well as your journey in the food industry and teaching classes at SFU.
Alia Sunderji: In 2010, I entered the Food Industry as a Marketing Coordinator for Tim Hortons Western Canada. Later, I transitioned to become the Associate Brand Manager for the Tim Hortons’ Breakfast Category. After spending a little over 5 years at Tim Hortons, I took a leap of faith and shifted my career to become a social entrepreneur.
My initial venture, Liv & Lola, collaborated with women's artisan worker cooperatives in Central America. Together, we created a line of beautifully crafted, traditionally woven home decor and apparel, which we successfully sold in North America and Australia. Our core principles were rooted in fair trade, equitable employment opportunities, and a commitment to honouring traditional artisan techniques.
With my background in social entrepreneurship, I was fortunate to teach Sustainable Innovation at Simon Fraser University, a role I continue to embrace. During my time at the university, my students highlighted the significant issue of food waste in British Columbia. Drawing on my experience in the food industry, this awareness led me to embark on a new journey as the founder of Luv The Grub.
VFR: What is the story behind Luv the Grub, your line of delicious chutneys that rescue “ugly” produce and turn it into a staple found in many East African homes?
AS: Luv the Grub is on a mission to rescue "ugly" produce—those bumped, bruised, and misshapen fruits and vegetables rejected at the grocery store due to their appearance. We transform these overlooked seconds into gourmet fusion chutneys.
Why chutneys?
For one, canning extends the shelf life of produce from a mere couple of days to an impressive couple of years (up to 2 years!). Additionally, I identified a gap in the market.
While grocery stores predominantly offer mango chutney, tamarind chutney, and mint chutney, there's a world of untapped chutney varieties. Although these traditional chutneys are delicious, they only scratch the surface.
Most chutneys are confined to the ethnic aisle, often associated solely with Indian cuisine. Despite being fantastic with curries, I wanted to broaden the market's perspective on chutney as a versatile condiment. Chutneys can elevate a sandwich, burger, or wrap and complement rice bowls and curries. They also pair wonderfully with cheese, offering a myriad of ways to savour these flavourful creations beyond their traditional associations.
VFR: Selling a food product isn’t easy in today’s market, and many people don’t know about this side of the business. Please outline some of the challenges smaller businesses face selling their products and why consumers often end up paying so much for food products.
AS: The food business is incredibly tough, especially for smaller companies. In this industry, profit margins are squeezed, leaving little for producers and resulting in higher prices for consumers. As a food producer, getting your product on the shelf involves giving cuts to the grocery store, distributor, and broker. On top of that, you're expected to run promotions, place ads, and conduct in-store demos — all of which add to your costs.
After factoring in rent for your kitchen, labor expenses, marketing, and other operational costs, turning a profit becomes a constant challenge. To stay afloat, food producers often have to raise the suggested retail price, trying to strike a balance between making a profit and figuring out ways to reduce production costs.
Surviving in this industry requires significant capital, leading to many talented food producers being forced out of the market. This, coupled with various factors like the general inflation of ingredients, contributes to the high prices that end consumers often find themselves paying.
VFR: With some of these challenges in mind, you’re thinking about taking Luv the Grub in a different direction. Please share about “what’s next” for Luv the Grub and why providing access to culturally appropriate food is meaningful to you.
AS: Running a for-profit food business is challenging, and it becomes even more complex when you add the mission of rescuing ugly produce and providing meaningful, inclusive employment to those facing barriers in the job market.
Currently, we're on the path to transitioning into a non-profit. Our goal is not only to offer employment opportunities in the food sector for individuals with employment barriers, but also to use our expertise in upcycling produce seconds to create delicious, culturally appropriate foods for those facing food insecurity.
Given that 1/3 of all food produced goes to waste and 1/7 individuals in Canada experience food insecurity, we recognize the urgency of this issue. We aim to address it by turning produce seconds into culturally suitable food — a significant gap in the food assistance sector. Additionally, we plan to sell very affordable culturally appropriate foods to individuals teetering on the edge of food insecurity.
Excitingly, we have a new team with extensive experience in community engagement and the food industry leading this transition. Alongside myself, we look forward to sharing more news in 2024!