From stovetop to store shelves: how this Leduc facility helped a salsa get to market

Mary Burch beams with pride while watching a batch of her Red House Salsa roll off the assembly line at the Food Processing Development Centre and business incubator in Leduc, Alta.

"It's a labour of love, really," says the 43-year-old founder of the business that got its start in a St. Albert kitchen in 2016. 

"My family was going through a bit of a transition," Burch says.

At the time her husband, Wray, was a contractor in the oil field. Work had slowed down and his wages were cut in half.

The mother of four thought about an old family recipe they'd often whipped up to give to friends and teachers as gifts.

Burch remembers telling her husband, "'We're going to make salsa. It's going to be fine.'

"He thought I was completely nuts!"

WATCH | Salsa jars roll off the assembly line at the Food Processing Development Centre:

You can see more from the centre on Our Edmonton on Monday at 11 a.m. on CBC TV and CBC Gem. 

Fast forward to 2023 and Red House Salsa now has a line of five products selling in 80 grocery stores across Alberta.

"I would not be where I am if it wasn't for this facility," Burch says.

Staff at the 65,000-square-foot centre helped Burch with everything from product labelling and food science tips to safety testing in the lab. The centre also helped with scaling up orders for locally sourced ingredients — and with distribution of the finished products.

The centre, which is operated by the Alberta government, opened in 1984.

Since then, it has helped between 100-150 businesses a year "realize their dreams," says executive director Ken Gossen.