Now owned and operated by the Biln family, Snowcrest Foods Ltd. was founded by Jack Clappison in 1959. Snowcrest Packers, as it was known then, operated from the back of a butcher shop in the small community of Haney, BC.
Mr. Clappison started the frozen food business when a customer asked him to keep 15,000 pounds of blueberries in the frozen food locker in his butcher shop. A month later the customer notified Jack that he didn’t want the blueberries, therefore leaving Jack to figure out what to do with them. After attempting to sell the blueberries elsewhere without success, he decided to pack them in clear poly bags. He weighed them out in one and two pound tin cans and poured them into the bags with a funnel. Mr. Clappison’s operation was considered to be one of the first frozen food plants to pack in poly bags.
After packaging a few cases of blueberries, he took them to the Woodwards' grocery store in New Westminster. After a little persuading, Woodwards agreed to take 500 pounds on Thursday, and by Friday night, they asked for another 500 pounds. This was the start of a very good relationship with Woodwards.
Soon after the abandoned blueberries were sold, Mr. Clappison found more blueberries and strawberries to sell. Jack, however, was not satisfied selling someone else's product; he wanted to sell his own. He found property on which a fresh fruit cooperative was located (where Snowcrest Foods Ltd. is still located today), and acquired it with the help of Mr. and Mrs. Gilland.
In 1968, the company was sold to Scott National Company Limited, which in 1970 became a wholly owned subsidiary of Burns Foods. In 1996, Burns Foods Group changed its corporate structure and as a result, Snowcrest was once again a stand alone division. During this time the company merged with Royal City Foods and became one of the largest suppliers of frozen fruits and vegetables in Western Canada. In 2003, Snowcrest acquired the shares of Omstead Foods Limited of Wheatley Ontario. The acquisition of Omstead made it the first Canadian frozen fruit and vegetable packer with national exposure.
In April of 2010, the national fruit division of Snowcrest Packers and Omstead Foods was purchased by the Biln family, and the company was renamed Snowcrest Foods Ltd. The Biln family also own Silver Valley Farms, and is well known as a high quality producer of wholesome berries in British Columbia.
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