From PEI’s Beloved Comfort Food to Atlantic Canada's Freezer Aisle Favourite!
Industry:
Food & Beverage (Chef-made frozen comfort food)
Services:
Brand Evolution, Web Design & Development, Video Production, E-commerce Strategy
Picture this: You've got a rapidly growing frozen food company with chef-made handpies that are absolutely delicious, made with top-notch local ingredients, and ready to take Atlantic Canada by storm. There's just one problem—you're about to pitch to major grocery chains across the Maritimes, and your digital presence doesn't actually communicate "we can handle your volume."
That's where Sarah at Handpie Co found herself. She had the product, the passion, and the capacity to scale but she needed a digital presence that could keep pace with her ambitions (just us, there’s no shortage of ambition).
Enters Hijinks 😉
The Challenge
Handpie Co was on the verge of major expansion into grocery stores across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador. But their existing setup wasn't communicating their capacity to fill these orders.
The Technical Headache:
WordPress site with some unfortunate bugs and temporary patches
Hosting issues that left the site down unexpectedly
Plugin conflicts and payment processing headaches
The Brand Gap: While Handpie Co's packaging was vibrant and colourful, their brand identity was stuck in black and white—literally. The disconnect between their energetic, bright personality and their visual presence needed to be aligned.
The Wholesale Problem: They had no way to communicate their production capacity and efficiency to potential grocery partners. No wholesale portal, no professional videos showcasing their story—nothing that said "we're ready (like really ready!) for your shelves."
Phase 1
Getting the Ball Rolling
We tackled this in phases, building momentum as Handpie Co grew.
Wholesale Page
We added a wholesale page to their existing WordPress site to get them pitch-ready fast. While it wasn't the long-term solution, it gave them what they needed to start conversations with grocery buyers.
Lifestyle and Facility Video Production
We knew we needed to show, not tell. So we assembled the dream team—bringing in Vanessa Smith of Refy Studio as coordinator and Oakar Myint for videography, with Hijinks leading Creative Direction and Project Management.
The concept? Showcase the versatility of handpies for making lives easier while still delivering delicious, quality food. We followed two stories:
A busy young professional grabbing a handpie on the go. Handheld comfort food straight from the bag!
A family of four sitting down to a meal together, comfort food that brings everyone to the table.
The message was clear. Whether you're eating solo or feeding a crew, Handpie Co makes mealtime simpler without compromising on quality.
Phase 2
The Complete Overhaul
A few months later, Sarah came back. They were ready to dive in!
Platform Migration: WordPress → Shopify
We walked Sarah through a variety of options, but the choice became clear: Shopify.
Built for volume: Shopify is designed to handle growth without the technical headaches
Reliable infrastructure: No more site crashes during peak ordering times
Seamless payment processing: Native Shopify Payments solved the plugin conflicts and checkout issues
Easier management: Sarah could focus on growing her business instead of troubleshooting bugs
Better customer experience: A stable, intuitive platform that works the way customers expect it to
As Sarah put it:
"Thank you for making me feel absolutely taken care of in this process, it's not something we do regularly and seems like SO MANY BALLS to juggle!"
Key Features We Built:
Store Locator: Making it easy for customers to find the closest Handpie in their local grocery stores
Custom Pickup Time Slots: Flexible ordering that allows their customers and staff to plan
Build-a-Box 10 Packs: Letting customers mix and match their favourites, for a sweet discount!
Brand Evolution: Adding Color to the Mix
Handpie Co's packaging had always been colorful, energetic, and inviting. It was time for the rest of their brand to catch up. We evolved their identity from relying entirely on black and white to embracing the bright, friendly personality that Sarah and her team embody. Because when you're in the business of comfort food, your brand should feel as warm and welcoming as the product itself.
Web Ads That Work
A beautiful new website means nothing if people don't see it. We partnered with VMG to run a series of web ads using the compelling copy JL of Poppy Copy had written for the site, and our updates visual direction. This ensured the messaging was consistent from first click to conversion. The ads ramped up web visits right out of the gate for the new website launch and got Handpie Co in front of fresh customers across the Maritimes who were ready to make mealtime simpler while supporting local!
The Results
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Expansion
Handpie Co is now selling frozen handpies in grocery stores across all four Atlantic provinces—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. And most recently, they added a location in Toronto, Ontario - we’ve got momentum, folks!
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Digital Growth
The new Shopify website with its humorous tone of voice became a hub of Handpie information for hungry folks across the Maritimes. Pickup orders increased, and the site finally reflected the quality and professionalism of the product inside every single handpie.
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SEO Optimized
With their growth strategy in mind we did an audit of their existing website, looked for ways to optimize the new one, and made a plan for how to keep up with new momentum through Google Business Pages, Web Copy, and Strategic writing.
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A Partnership Built to Last
But perhaps the best result? Sarah's confidence in her digital presence matched her confidence in her product. As she told us: "You're stuck with me for a good long time, my talented pal."
In Sarah's Words 😍
"Pal, celebrate well!!!!! Your team is so rad, you all deserve it to the max!"
"...we're all in loooOOoOooove with the new site and all of the ads..."
"I have no idea how you can communicate so well with absolute noobs like me on the daily, but I'm grateful. 🤘"
"Thank you all for your work on this, it's coming at a time of massive change for us and will set the tone for many years to come."
"Ashe!!! These are gorgeous and very true to life, as per my computer monitor and the handpie packaging that I'm holding up next to it. Thank you for the new codes as well, but I honestly feel like you'll need them as reference far more than I personally will over the next few years."
Agency: Hijinks Design Agency
Creative Direction and Project Management: Hijinks Design Agency
Graphic Design: Hijinks Design Agency
WordPress: Ellen Andrews
Shopify: Hijinks Design Agency
Web Copywriting: JL Mann, Poppy Copy
Coordination and Direction: Vanessa Smith, Refy Agency
Videography: Oakar Myint
About Hijinks Design Agency
We're a strategic design firm specializing in visual identities. We build the right team for every job, communicate clearly (even with self-proclaimed "noobs"), and make sure you feel taken care of through every step of the process. Because great design isn't just about making things look good—it's about making things work better.