What does it take to build a food brand from a single consumer problem into a product line found on the shelves of major grocery stores? In this episode, I’m in Vancouver with Paul Gill, Founder & CEO of Naked & Saucy. We explore how a soy allergy sparked an entrepreneurial journey, the lessons that transformed his business, why operational excellence matters as much as great products, and the surprising advice from a retail buyer that completely changed his innovation strategy. If you’re interested in food entrepreneurship, grocery retail, or building a consumer brand built to last, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
On this episode of The FEED powered by Loblaw podcast, host Michael LeBlanc travels to Vancouver to sit down with Paul Gill, Founder & CEO of Naked & Saucy, for a fascinating conversation about food entrepreneurship, innovation, retail growth, and what it really takes to build a successful consumer packaged goods brand in today’s competitive grocery industry.
Paul shares the remarkable story behind Naked & Saucy’s origins, explaining how a family member’s soy allergy inspired him to identify a significant gap in the market for soy-free alternatives. What began as an entrepreneurial experiment eventually evolved into one of North America’s fastest-growing premium sauce brands, now sold in approximately 5,000 retail locations across Canada and the United States.
Throughout the conversation, Paul reflects on his unconventional path into entrepreneurship—from initially pursuing medicine to discovering his passion for business—and discusses the lessons learned while scaling a food company from farmers’ markets and independent retailers to national grocery chains. He offers candid insights into product development, why great taste must always come first, and why successful innovation is often about improving familiar products rather than inventing entirely new categories.
Michael and Paul dive deep into the realities of building a modern food business, including managing cash flow, navigating supply chain complexity, achieving operational excellence, and listening carefully to retail buyers. Paul reveals how an offhand conversation with Loblaw merchants completely reshaped his product strategy, leading him to focus on high-velocity core flavours rather than niche innovations—an insight that transformed the trajectory of Naked & Saucy’s business.
The discussion also explores Paul’s decision to vertically integrate by acquiring his own manufacturing facility and creating Hummingbird Foods, which now produces for more than 20 brands while supporting both retail and foodservice customers. The conversation highlights the operational challenges that emerge once a product earns national distribution and why execution often becomes more difficult after securing a coveted retail listing.
Finally, Paul shares practical advice for aspiring food entrepreneurs, emphasizing product quality, operational discipline, resilience, and continuous learning. He also discusses the evolving role of retail media, consumer marketing, and household penetration as Naked & Saucy enters its next phase of growth. From the value of the Loblaw Small Supplier Program to the realities of scaling operations and building a lasting brand, this episode is packed with practical insights for entrepreneurs, retailers, and anyone passionate about innovation in the food business. Whether you’re launching your first product or leading an established consumer brand, you’ll find actionable advice from an entrepreneur who has successfully navigated every stage of the journey.