Collingwood-based chickpea pasta company serves up success with major investment

A homegrown pasta brand from Stayner is a growing success on grocery store shelves.

A unique pasta alternative, invented by a local entrepreneur from Collingwood, Ont., has recently secured a substantial growth plan thanks to a major investment.

Shelby Taylor created “Chickapea,” an organic, high-protein pasta made out of just two ingredients: chickpeas and yellow peas. What started at a farmers’ market 10 years ago has developed into a multimillion-dollar enterprise.

In September, a $4.25 million boost was granted to Chickapea to help meet the growing demand of plant-based foods across Canada.

The lead investor is AGT Foods, one of the largest suppliers of pulses (dried seeds from the legume family, like chickpeas and lentils) in the world.

Farm Credit Canada, the second investor, is a corporation that provides financial services to Canada’s agriculture and food industry.

The two new investors joined the current partner, InvestEco, a company that promotes health and sustainability in the food and agriculture industry, giving Chickapea the opportunity to expand beyond horizons.

“It means we can go into universities, colleges, hospitals, and retirement homes — places where they really need these high-protein options that are more digestible and plant-based as well, so that’s exciting for us,” Taylor says.

The pasta creation currently partners with Sobeys and National Co-op Grocers, a group that provides marketing and other services to help natural food co-ops compete with larger grocers.

Chickapea, a certified B corporation, which is a certification for meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, was founded in 2015.

The pasta provides 24 grams of protein per 100-gram serving.

Customers can find Chickapea at grocery stores and online.