THE FATSO STORY

In August 2016, Fatso CEO and founder, Jill Van Gyn launched Fatso in the back of a health food restaurant in Victoria, BC. Armed with two stand mixers and driven by a goal of creating a nut butter that tasted better, had more ingredient diversity and cost less than other specialty nut butters on the market, Jill brought Fatso to life.

For the first two years, Jill delivered her product to grocery stores all over BC. She set up demos every weekend between Vancouver Island and Vancouver’s Lower Mainland, firmly believing that if people could just taste Fatso, they would buy it. Besides her obvious passion for peanut butter, Jill has a strong passion for social justice, and made a promise to herself that if Fatso ever got legs, the brand would dedicate resources to champion social causes.

As the Fatso brand continued to grow, Jill began looking for a partner who shared her commitment to quality and who had the resources to expand production to keep up with demand. Enter G.E. Barbour – a family-owned food business with more than 150 years of experience in manufacturing great food products such as teas, spices, and nut butters. We know a good thing when we see it, and Jill had a good thing going. We started working with Jill, and when she decided to move on, Barbours jumped at the opportunity to acquire Fatso in March 2023. We share Jill’s commitment to quality, and we know not to mess with a good thing. The recipe is the same, the quality standards are the same, and our experience in manufacturing and the food business will help ensure that Fatso continues to grow and spread goodness from coast to coast.