The Canadian Produce Marketing Association BB #:153602 is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025, and leading up to the convention in Montreal, the organization has been sharing memories from the early days.
I saw a post on LinkedIn that featured a historic recipe for Potato and Leek Soup from the 1920s and 1930s and knew I had to try it.
We haven’t cooled down to soup weather here in Central Texas yet, but when you live in a hot climate you learn to adapt and just eat the soup.
This also prompted me to consider why Americans just aren’t fans of leeks. I remember a conversation with Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics about leeks and some data analysis she was doing for a seed company.
They were shocked at how few are sold in our market – only about $42 million in annual sales, according to Circana. I couldn’t find a solid source, but a quick google search pins the leek market in Canada (a country with a little more than 10% of the population of the U.S.) around $18 million.
I could just go by the displays I see at Canadian retailers. In the U.S., you’ll see displays about the size of one RPC in a wet rack. In Canada, especially in Quebec, there are secondary displays, end caps, and large promotions centered on leeks.
When I talk to U.S. consumers about it, I often find cost being a barrier. Leeks also are time-consuming to prepare, though it took me longer to peel and cut potatoes than it did for me to prepare two leeks for this recipe.
Anyway, let’s enjoy a recipe from CPMA history, and I’ll keep an eye out for more as we prepare for the 100th anniversary celebration in Montreal in April.
The Canadian Produce Marketing Association BB #:153602 is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025, and leading up to the convention in Montreal, the organization has been sharing memories from the early days.
I saw a post on LinkedIn that featured a historic recipe for Potato and Leek Soup from the 1920s and 1930s and knew I had to try it.
We haven’t cooled down to soup weather here in Central Texas yet, but when you live in a hot climate you learn to adapt and just eat the soup.
This also prompted me to consider why Americans just aren’t fans of leeks. I remember a conversation with Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics about leeks and some data analysis she was doing for a seed company.
They were shocked at how few are sold in our market – only about $42 million in annual sales, according to Circana. I couldn’t find a solid source, but a quick google search pins the leek market in Canada (a country with a little more than 10% of the population of the U.S.) around $18 million.
I could just go by the displays I see at Canadian retailers. In the U.S., you’ll see displays about the size of one RPC in a wet rack. In Canada, especially in Quebec, there are secondary displays, end caps, and large promotions centered on leeks.
When I talk to U.S. consumers about it, I often find cost being a barrier. Leeks also are time-consuming to prepare, though it took me longer to peel and cut potatoes than it did for me to prepare two leeks for this recipe.
Anyway, let’s enjoy a recipe from CPMA history, and I’ll keep an eye out for more as we prepare for the 100th anniversary celebration in Montreal in April.
Pamela Riemenschneider is the Retail Editor for Blue Book Services.
