allow portioned use, and be stored frozen without losing quality.
From there, the two set out to design and manufacture these tubes from scratch and find a partner willing to make it. They accomplished their mission. The signature delivery mechanism— an eco-friendly push tube that lets you slice off just what you need and freeze the rest— turns a chef’ s trick into a slick hack.
Von Slick’ s officially launched in April of 2021 out of a commercial kitchen in Middlebro, Manitoba. From the start, Rob and Landon knew they had an unusual product that required education as much as distribution.
Their early days were spent getting into local retailers and demonstrating how compound butters work, leaning heavily on hands-on sampling at farmers’ markets, pop-ups, and trade shows where people could try before they buy. These grassroots efforts helped build awareness and a loyal customer base, while also creating opportunities to connect with food industry professionals and grocery buyers.
Before long, stores across Western Canada began carrying the product, supported by the addition of a Western Canadian distributor in 2023, and shoppers discovered just how transformative a slick of flavourful butter could be.
This niche product launch has not gone unnoticed. In 2024, the brand made history at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, winning first place in Innovation & Creativity and second in the flavoured butter category, out of hundreds of international entries. They were the only Canadian butter maker to earn top honours at the 57-year-old event. They’ ve also received national accolades, including multiple wins at the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards and becoming a finalist at the Retail Council of Canada’ s New Product Grand Prix award.
This momentum opened doors for Von Slick’ s to engage with chefs and restaurants, expand retail reach, and refine their product lines, including larger formats tailored for food service use.
Today, Von Slick’ s sits at a crossroads that many entrepreneurs dream of: sustaining artisanal roots while scaling into bigger markets.
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Processing remains in Middlebro, though the original community hall kitchen has since been replaced by a dedicated facility down the street, where a team of ten now produces and packs butter year-round. In just five years, steady growth culminated in the production of 90,000 tubes in 2025. This year, sales are anticipated to reach $ 1 million.
Pushing into food service partnerships, they are hoping to see their butters on menus across Canada. They continue to attend markets to meet cooks and diners where food culture thrives, a strategy that’ s both marketing and mission.
For Rob and Landon, the journey is as much about teaching a new way to taste as it has been about building a business. As Landon puts it, the product’ s uniqueness— chef-crafted, made with premium Manitoba dairy from Notre Dame Creamery, and designed to be approachable— gives it the potential to break through categories as a culinary conversation starter.
As Von Slick’ s continues to butter up plates across Canada and beyond, it’ s clear that this Manitoba story has something irresistible: a fusion of chef-level technique, thoughtful storytelling, and the kind of passion that makes food matter.
ciao! / feb / mar / two thousand twenty-six 17