The Food Industry of Canada has selected three recipients for the prestigious Golden Pencil Award for 2020: Margaret Hudson, president of Burnbrae Farms, Jean Louis Bellemare and Jeff York, Farm Boy co-CEOs.
The Food Industry Association of Canada first presented the Golden Pencil Award in 1957 to recognize and celebrate the efforts of both buyer and seller in developing and improving the Canadian food industry.
Hudson has been at the helm of Burnbrae Farms for close to 12 years and spent 18 years prior to this in different roles at the company, including merchandising, sales and marketing. Hudson’s father Joe was a recipient of the Golden Pencil Award in 2001.
Bellemare and York have run Farm Boy together since 2009 and helped grow the chain into a flourishing business. Empire Company Limited acquired the chain in 2018 and the two co-CEOs have continued to expand the chain, which now includes more than 30 stores in Ontario with more planned for 2021.
