TORONTO, ON — April 27, 2026 — As We Do Chocolate Company Inc. officially announced its launch today, aiming to fill a massive gap in the North American market by becoming Canada’s premier scaled, chef-led, bean-to-bar chocolate producer. Founded by world-class chef Brandon Olsen and veteran entrepreneur Michael Held, the company is set to redefine how premium chocolate is made and sourced in Canada.

While Canada is projected to consume over $5.4 billion in chocolate in 2025, nearly all premium supply for the hospitality and foodservice sectors is currently imported from large European conglomerates. As We Do Chocolate is purpose-built to disrupt this model by offering high-quality, Canadian-made chocolate produced at scale using cutting-edge Italian machinery.

The company’s portfolio is designed to serve two distinct markets: Wholesale Hospitality, providing professional-grade pellets, cocoa butter and cocoa powder, and batons for chefs, bakeries, and hotels; and Retail/Gifting, featuring premium chocolate bars and custom-labeled corporate gift solutions.

The partnership between Chef Brandon Olsen and entrepreneur Michael Held brings together two rare profiles to ensure that As We Do Chocolate achieves both world-class product excellence and disciplined operational growth. By fusing elite culinary artistry with proven expertise in scaling profitable businesses, the founders are uniquely positioned to build Canada’s next great chocolate company:

·       Brandon Olsen (Co-Founder): A renowned chef and chocolatier with decades of experience at elite institutions such as Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry. Known for creating Toronto’s "most Instagrammable dessert," the Ziggy Stardust Disco Egg, Olsen is transitioning from chocolatier to chocolate maker to oversee every step of the bean-to-bar process.

·       Michael Held (Co-Founder): A seasoned business builder who previously founded a digital mental health company from scratch, scaling it to a $50M ARR business and taking it public at a half-billion-dollar valuation. Held brings nearly 35 years of experience in strategic growth and capital management to ensure As We Do captures substantial market share.

“I have spent two decades working in some of the world’s best kitchens, and I’ve always seen a glaring need for a high-quality, Canadian-made chocolate that chefs and hotels can actually rely on at scale," said Brandon Olsen, Co-Founder. "As We Do is about reclaiming that craft. We aren’t just making another chocolate bar; we are building a new gold standard for the industry, focusing on pure, natural ingredients and the meticulous care that only a chef-led company can provide.”

"Canada is a nation of chocolate lovers, yet we source almost all of our premium product from elsewhere. The opportunity to build a scaled, sustainable, and truly Canadian champion in this category is immense," added Michael Held, Co-Founder. "By combining Brandon’s world-class culinary know-how with my experience in scaling profitable, strategic businesses, we are uniquely positioned to win. Our Kickstarter is the first step in inviting our community to join us in building what will become one of the world’s greatest chocolate companies." 

The company is currently completing its 16,000 square foot Toronto facility, slated to open to the public in late summer 2026.

For more information, visit aswedochocolate.com or follow @aswedochocolate on social media.

April 29, 2026 – Toronto, ON – Lactalis Canada, the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands including Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro and Lactantia, and part of the Francebased Lactalis Group, is bolstering its Sales and Marketing leadership within its Cheese & Tablespreads division with two new appointments. Ola Machnowski joins Lactalis Canada as Vice President, Marketing – Cheese & Tablespreads, effective April 20, 2026 and Vish Aggarwal joins the companyas Vice President, Sales – Cheese & Tablespreads, effective April 27, 2026.

These two new appointments follow the October 2025 promotion of Burhan Khan to General Manager, Cheese & Tablespreads. Ola will lead the Cheese & Tablespreads Marketing function, with accountability for Dairy Cheese, Kraft Grated, Tablespreads and Deli marketing. Vish will oversee the sales strategy for Lactalis Canada’s Cheese & Tablespreads portfolio.

“The Cheese & Tablespreads division is a cornerstone of Lactalis Canada’s portfolio and a category with significant future potential,” said Burhan Khan, General Manager, Cheese & Tablespreads, Lactalis Canada. “Together with Ola and Vish, I am confident that our team is well positioned to accelerate the next phase of growth – creating meaningful value for both customers and consumers.”

“Lactalis Canada has an iconic portfolio of brands and a clear ambition for the future,” said Ola Machnowski, Vice President, Marketing – Cheese & Tablespreads, Lactalis Canada. “I’m thrilled to be joining the team and to partner with our sales and cross‑functional colleagues to foster our brands, drive growth, and deliver meaningful impact in the category.”

“I’m excited to join Lactalis Canada at such an important moment for the Cheese & Tablespreads category,” said Vish Aggarwal, Vice President, Sales – Cheese & Tablespreads, Lactalis Canada. “This is a portfolio with tremendous brand strength and further growth potential, and I look forward to working closely with our teams and customers to accelerate performance and build on Lactalis Canada’s success.”

Prior to joining Lactalis Canada, Ola most recently served as Vice President, Demand Generation at SharkNinja, where she led media, brand and trade marketing. Previously, she was Head of Marketing at The Hershey Company in Canada and held marketing leadership roles at Unilever and GSK.

Vish most recently served as Vice President of Customer Development – North America at Edgewell Personal Care, leading brands including Schick, Skintimate, Banana Boat and Wet Ones. He previously held the role of Vice President, Sales – Canada, along with several progressively senior commercial leadership positions, and brings additional experience from ColgatePalmolive and Energizer.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2026) - Burcon NutraScience Corporation (TSX: BU) (OTCQB: BRCNF) ("Burcon" or the "Company"), a global technology leader in plant-based proteins, today announced recent operational and commercial milestones demonstrating accelerating momentum in its scale-up and commercialization strategy.

Over the past several weeks, the Company achieved record production, increasing average daily output by approximately 40% as compared to the calendar Q1 average, which proves production capability needed to achieve 2026 goals. In response to growing demand, Burcon and its manufacturing partner, RE ProMan LLC, are evaluating additional capacity expansion opportunities to support future customer requirements.

Burcon has expanded its commercial footprint to more than 20 buying customers across multiple food and beverage categories, including ready-to-mix beverages, nutrition products and plant-based food applications, reflecting growing market adoption of its protein ingredients.

Demand is being generated across Burcon's full product portfolio, including Peazzaz®, FavaPro^TM and Puratein®, which are designed to deliver high purity, functionality, taste and solubility across a broad range of applications.

"We are encouraged by the continued progress across both our operations and commercial activities," said Kip Underwood, Chief Executive Officer. "Increased record production levels, a growing base of buying customers and continued capacity expansion efforts reflect a business gaining traction in the market. Our focus remains on scaling efficiently, supporting customer growth and executing against our path to profitability."

Food manufacturers seeking high-performance plant-based protein solutions are encouraged to contact the Company to discuss product evaluation opportunities.

Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon, April 28, 20206 — Lovo, formerly Nutri Group, announces the launch of Phase 2 of the expansion project at its Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon egg grading facility, a strategic investment of nearly $10 million aimed at supporting business growth and modernizing its operations in Eastern Québec.

The first phase, completed earlier this year, focused on modernizing egg handling and preparation equipment—an important step in improving operational efficiency, standardizing practices across the organization, and adapting to evolving industry standards.

“With this project, Lovo is equipping itself to support the evolution of the industry and respond to future market needs. The expansion of the Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon facility reflects our commitment to providing our producers with modern, efficient infrastructure aligned with best practices,” said Sébastien Léveillé, CEO of Lovo.

An 18,000-Square-Foot Expansion

Phase 2 of the project includes an 18,000-square-foot expansion, increasing the total building size from 44,000 to 62,000 square feet. This addition will primarily enhance storage and production areas, while also optimizing internal workflows within the facility. The project is expected to increase overall capacity by 10% with the expansion scheduled for completion by November 2026.

In addition to strengthening local economic activity—bringing Lovo’s economic impact to more than $85 million over the next five years—this project will reinforce the company’s presence in the region and support the agricultural and agri-food sector.