THE STORY: Backyard Food was born out of a love of gardening and fresh food by two friends. When they were too successful at growing vegetables in their home gardens, Matt McClelland and Louby Sukkar had to do something with the excess. Family recipes and a stint at food incubator Hope & Main yielded The Backyard Food Co.
› Backyard Food made its first sale in the fall of 2014 after two years of experimenting with recipes and ingredients
› A chance meeting with a Whole Foods “local forager” resulted in the creation that weekend of red pepper relish, which led later that week to a purchase of the entire line
› The pair has sole more than 1 million pickles
› Products range in price from $4.99 to $6.99, more than national brands but less than local brands, because as the company says, “We feel that price shouldn’t be a barrier to better foods”
› The company is still a two-man operation, although three people help out with pickle-making and seven to eight help with other products
