Pioneers, Passion & Perseverance…
The McLean Meats story goes back over 30 years when company founder Garth McLean moved from New Brunswick to Vancouver and got his first job working in a Federal meat plant and as a truck driver.
As Garth worked his way up into sales he became personally involved in every aspect of the commercial meat industry. Dismayed with all the chemicals and preservatives found in deli meats, he developed Canada’s first nitrate-free deli line called Natural Farms.
In 2003 Garth’s friends Michelle Neilson & Deanna Bell joined Garth on his Vision and together they rebranded the company as MCLEAN MEATS, drawing inspiration from the words “CLEAN” and “LEAN” in Garth’s last name. Their Mission was to produce clean food products that nourish the body while supporting natural, humane and sustainable farming. And it still holds true today. The company tagline, ‘Embrace Food with Gratitude’ was inspired by their mutual love of animals. It serves as a testament to give thanks and acknowledge our consumption of meat.
In the years following, the McLean Meats team persevered through the Avian Flu, industry pushback, manufacturing restrictions, labeling limitations and a lack of consistent organic meat supply.
In 2006, Garth’s eldest son Justin McLean joined the company on the production floor. Working from the ground-up like his father, today he is in charge of supply management and logistics.
In the summer of 2016, Deanna returned to the McLean team to help re-fresh the brand and manage marketing.
McLean remains Canada’s only Deli Meat Company that is truly preservative free: no chemical preservatives or nitrites extracted from celery.
McLean also follows the original principles and values that inspired Garth to launch his own company: clean recipe development, animal welfare and building a team that shares the same passion.
“We’re proud to be the only deli meat company in Canada whose entire product line is truly “clean”. – Garth McLean