ABOUT GRINDSTONE BLENDS
Grindstone Blends is a Canadian food and manufacturing company built on a simple belief: familiar foods can be reinvented to nourish, include and fit more easily into everyday life.
From our signature black-and-white rice blend to Cream of Rice, CUP-CAKE and The MIX, we create familiar foods differently—all from our home in London, Ontario.
OUR STORY
Grindstone began when founder Karen Marques went looking for better ways to fuel her own active lifestyle without giving up the foods she enjoyed.
That curiosity introduced her to black rice and sparked a much bigger idea: what if familiar foods could be rethought from the ingredient up?
What began as a personal search grew into a Canadian food company with the ability to mill rice, blend ingredients, season products and package foods under one roof.
Today, Grindstone continues to ask the same question that started it all:
How can we reinvent this?
MEET KAREN
Founder Karen Marques turned a personal search for better everyday food into a growing Canadian food and manufacturing company.
Karen was looking for a better way to fuel her own active lifestyle. Traditional options weren't giving her what she wanted, and that curiosity eventually introduced her to ancient forbidden black rice.
What started as a personal search became something much bigger: an opportunity to take familiar foods, rethink how they were made and create products that could serve more people.
People do.
Seeing a product move from an idea on a table to something that becomes part of someone's everyday life continues to drive Karen—as does what's still possible: new products, new ingredients, new partnerships and new ways to reinvent familiar foods.
“Everyone deserves to be included at the table.”Karen Marques, Founder
The products and manufacturing capabilities are important, but inclusion is especially personal.
As a parent of a child who experienced anaphylactic food allergies, Karen understands the concern that can come with something as simple as a birthday party. Cake should represent celebration and belonging—not being the child who has to sit out.
That experience is one reason Cake in a Cup means so much to her. Creating food that can help more families participate in everyday moments is bigger than the product itself.
Karen sees Grindstone becoming a recognized Canadian CPG food and manufacturing company, bringing more reinvented familiar foods to consumers while expanding manufacturing, private-label and product-development capabilities.
The long-term opportunity isn't one product or one category. It's continuing to ask:
What can we reinvent next?
KAREN'S FAVOURITES
Cake in a Cup.
Karen travels frequently and values having a convenient single-serving option available when she needs it. Her connection to the product also comes from her family's experience with food allergies and the importance of inclusion around food.
Explore the CUP-CAKE family →
Blueberry with fresh lemon zest.
Karen loves the combination because it's bright, simple and shows how easily a Grindstone product can become something different.
Read the Blueberry Lemon Loaf recipe →OUR MISSION
Our mission is to reinvent familiar foods through thoughtful ingredients, practical nutrition and inclusive manufacturing.
We believe food should bring people together. Whether you're looking for gluten-free choices, convenient sources of protein, something that fits a busy day or simply something delicious, we're creating food designed for real life.
INCLUSIVE MANUFACTURING
Our dedicated manufacturing facility in London, Ontario is built around a focused production environment where gluten, soy, nuts, dairy and wheat are excluded from production.
Under one roof, Grindstone can mill rice, blend ingredients, season products and package finished foods—giving us greater involvement in how our foods move from an idea to the finished product.
Facility-level manufacturing attributes do not necessarily reflect the ingredients or allergen profile of every individual Grindstone product. Please refer to individual product packaging for product-specific information.
COMMUNITY
Grindstone was built to be part of the communities we serve.
From supporting families and athletes to working with Canadian retailers, community organizations and fundraising programs, we believe growing a Canadian food company means creating opportunities to grow together.
For us, community isn't simply where our products are sold—it's who we build them for.
WHERE TO BUY
Grindstone Blends is available at 200+ retail locations across Canada and online. Find us at grocery, natural food, health and wellness, and specialty retailers across the country.
Start with the foods you know. Keep making room for more people at the table.