How Chef Charlotte Langley redefined Tinned Fish
For over 20 years, Chef Charlotte Langley has been making waves in the seafood and hospitality industry, earning accolades for her culinary ambitions alongside her relentless sustainability advocacy efforts.
Today, the Prince Edward Island Chef is an entrepreneurial powerhouse, as the founder of craft-tinned-seafood brand Scout Canning and her newly launched food and innovation Fund, Langley Foods. But even while rising in the business ranks of Canada’s CPG industry, Chef Langley is still known for the warmth and hospitality the East Coast is famous for. She is focused on giving families the opportunity to be able to share honest, good, and responsible food at their dinner tables.
Chef Langley says her passion for food is representative of her passion for life. “I’ve always been full of energy and curiosity,” she says. “And have always believed that food is love, magic, and an act of dedication and commitment to the stewardship of all of those elements”.
Growing up near the water, Chef Langley was inspired by the chefs, fishers and farmers she would see every day. And she would often visit her grandfather, a fellow entrepreneur in the food sector and inspiration behind Langley Foods, at his office, seeing the processing plant, meeting employees, and sharing in the cooking detail on weekends.
“It’s through my family that I was compelled to be in the food industry, and that I was drawn to learn, grow, and more importantly, connect and share my passion with others”, she says. “I came naturally to this space and have been very inspired and hopefully inspiring along the way”.
In the years that followed, Chef Langley honed her culinary skills, with a particular focus on elevating seafood. She worked in some of the country’s most recognized restaurants, including C Restaurant, The Whalesbone Oyster House, Catch and Rodney’s catering.
In 2014, Chef Langley was compelled to revive the preservation traditions of coastal fishers and give the modern home cook access to deliciously crafted and responsible seafood by elevating the practice of seafood canning.
Charlotte spent six years working and perfecting the recipes as a passion project, while highlighting fishermen and other domestic suppliers committed to responsible seafood sourcing. And since 2020, kicking off with Scout’s Craft Can line, Chef Langley has been working to expand the audience for seafood by making it more tasty, convenient, and responsibly sourced.
“Those six years were filled with extensive planning, product development, market research, and overcoming various obstacles to finally realize the vision I had for a sustainable seafood brand,” Chef Langley said in a 2023 Canadian Business article.
Today, Scout’s line of tin seafood is carried in more than 4,000 stores across Canada and the U.S. Among her line of products are packs PEI Mussels (sourced from PEI, naturally), Atlantic Canadian Lobster (harvested only during lobster season), Rainbow Trout, and a series of Seafood Snacks featuring Chili Crisp, Za’atar and Chile Jalapeno flavours.
Alongside her work with Scout, Chef Langley has been the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Chief Ambassador to Canada since 2017. The globally recognized non-profit aims to set standards for sustainable fishing practices and as the Ambassador gives Charlotte the platform to speak and share her passion for advocacy on the grand stage.
“Scout Canning and Langley Foods both stand as a testament to my commitment to the health of our oceans and our planet,” explains Chef Langley. “My mission is to provide consumers with responsibly sourced, delicious and nutritious food while minimizing our environmental footprint.”
Chef Langley is a champion of the wellbeing of those working in the industry, supporting groups such as Not 9 to 5, a global leader in mental health advocacy and education for the hospitality and culinary industry. She also aligns herself with other non-profits such as Sistering and A Better Life Foundation, and actively pursues partnerships with companies and brands that have an eye towards making a positive impact on the earth.
You can catch Chef Langley speaking about her love of tinned fish at engagements such as the 2024 World Ocean Forum in Portugal March on her Youtube Channel for more homespun communications. And she’s not slowing down anytime soon.
Today, Chef Langley is focused on a new enterprise: Langley Foods. This Food and Beverage Innovation Fund will be uniquely structured to bring small, independent startups under one umbrella.
“Think of it as a room full of innovators and experts in food and beverage, leveraging each others’ knowledge, passion and relationships to drive new products to market,” she explains. “You could call it a ‘shared office’.”
Key to her success has been a continued desire to share her knowledge and food, but also to learn from others.
“Through my journey as a chef, entrepreneur, and advocate for a better culinary world, I’m dedicated to continue creating unforgettable moments for everyone who shares my passion for food, sustainability, and the beauty of our oceans, waterways and planet”
Stay Connected with Chef Langley on
Instagram @ChefCharlotteLangley
Youtube Chefcharlottelangley
Linkedin Charlotte Langley
Substack https://charlottelangley.substack.com/p/navigating-the-tide-the-imperative
