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The Saskatoon berry is well-known across Canada, but Saskatoon’s economic development group is trying to give the berry global exposure.
Alex Fallon, president and CEO of the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Agency (SREDA), is in the United Kingdom on a trade mission to promote local products, businesses and investment opportunities.
Fallon said he was looking for a creative way to market Saskatchewan products and came up with the idea to approach world-renowned chef, restaurateur and TV star, Gordon Ramsay, about having the berry featured on a menu in one of his restaurants.
“It’s a hard thing to do, but you know what, it’s looking pretty promising,” Fallon said.
“We’ve had some interesting discussions with Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant in London. I don’t want to jinx it but hopefully, later tonight I’ll be enjoying a nice meal at his restaurant with Saskatoon berries on the menu. Looking forward to seeing if we can pull that off.”
Aside from the berry discussions, Fallon said he has also met with a number of technology firms. He said these companies have products, which are unavailable in Saskatchewan, that could be utilized in the province’s mining sector.
Even though the province’s economy has slipped recently, Fallon said people still want to hear about Saskatchewanians.
“I remember coming to the UK years ago with the government of Saskatchewan promoting the province. People didn’t know a lot about us then. It’s amazing how things have changed in a relatively short period of time.”
