Kingston start up granola cereal business inks deal with Metro

Three people working dutifully on their laptops in a small cubicle office in Innovation Park isn’t exactly the corporate halls of power, but considering Urban Hippie Granola started only three years ago in Casey Krebs’s home, it’s a big step forward.

This year, Krebs secured a deal to sell the cereal in Metro grocery stores.

“We just launched our product in 20 new Metro and Food Basic stores. New for us — they’ve been around for a while,” she said.
The cereal will be stocked in grocery stores from Cornwall to Colborne and up to Peterborough.

Part of Krebs’s success has been finding a growth market in the food industry. Her granola features only natural ingredients.
“So no sulphites, no artificial ingredients or colours. Very clean ingredients I would put in my body and my family’s body. That’s what I sell to all my customers,” Krebs said. It’s nut free as well.

Urban Hippie has two kitchens: One in Smith Falls and another they one that they rent at the curling rink in Kingston’s west end.

Ceara Anderson has only been with the company since May but is already in charge of training two bakers they’ve just hired on, and, like any small business, that’s only the tip of Anderson’s responsibilities.

“I’ve been doing web development, I’ve been improving my skills with google analytics, I’ve been making my designs more out there. I’ve been making her business cards, making her postcards, I’ve been making her flyers and posters for her products,” said Anderson.

The growth in distribution has also led to growing the business. Krebs is now looking for a larger permanent kitchen in Kingston and has a new partner.
“We’re planning on incorporating our product with [the new partner] and having them make a lot of it for us,” she said.
Krebs never thought Urban Hippie Granola would expand the way it has but she is pleased that it seems to have caught the attention and the taste buds of consumers.