Canned food has long been treated as a compromise—something practical, shelf-stable, and easy, but rarely something to get excited about. For Charlotte Langley, chef and founder of Nice Cans, that perception never made sense.

After decades working in some of Canada’s top kitchens, pioneering premium tinned seafood, and collaborating with fisheries and food systems around the world, Langley saw canned food for what it truly is: one of the most sustainable, flavour-forward, and expressive formats in the food world. With Nice Cans, she’s building a brand that reframes the pantry as a place of pleasure—not last-minute solutions.

Below, Charlotte shares the story behind Nice Cans, her approach to building with integrity, and why a well-made tin can feel like a small, joyful luxury.

Nice Cans, The Brand

For anyone new to Nice Cans, how would you describe the brand in one or two sentences?

Nice Cans is a boldly delicious canned food brand crafting chef-made, sustainably sourced tins that turn everyday eating into something extraordinary. We’re here to make canned food sexy, joyful, and honest again.

What inspired you to start Nice Cans? Was there a moment that sparked it?

For decades, canned food has been widely consumed but rarely celebrated. It’s been slapped with the reputation of being cheap, bland, or a last-resort pantry item—when in reality, when crafted with intention, it’s one of the most high-value, sustainable, nutrient-dense, and flavour-forward formats in the entire food world.

This category deserves its renaissance.

Handled with care, tinned food is stunning. It’s expressive. It’s luxurious. It locks in peak-season flavour, supports responsible fisheries, reduces waste, and invites people to enjoy exceptional food anywhere, anytime.

I want Nice Cans to redefine what a “good” pantry staple looks like—not an emergency meal, but a celebrated one. Not a compromise, but a small, joyful luxury you look forward to opening.

The Origin Story

Who were you before launching Nice Cans? What were you doing?

Before launching Nice Cans, I was a classically trained chef working across some of Canada’s top kitchens, a culinary consultant, a recipe developer, and the co-founder of Scout Canning, which I founded and later exited in 2023.

For the past eight years, I’ve also served as the Marine Stewardship Council’s Canadian Chef Ambassador. That role has taken me around the world to cook, learn, collaborate, and connect with the people at the heart of our food systems.

Those years in kitchens, those global relationships, and the work I did pioneering premium tinned seafood made one thing very clear: the category is ready for expansion, elevation, and celebration. Nice Cans is my way of moving it forward—with more joy, more flavour, more integrity, and more respect for the people and places behind every tin.

What problem were you trying to solve, or what gap did you see?

Canned food didn’t just need a glow-up—I wanted to share the love I already had for it.

The sustainability and flavour potential were always there, but the joy, creativity, storytelling, and sense of pleasure weren’t being celebrated. People deserved more than “cheap pantry filler,” but even more importantly, they deserved to experience the delight I’ve always felt cracking open a genuinely well-made tin.

I wanted to create canned foods that taste incredible, honour their source, and offer people a small moment of joy—a delicious, sustainable choice that feels good in every sense.

What was the earliest version of the brand or product like?

The real starting point wasn’t a boardroom or a factory—it was my tiny Toronto kitchen back in 2014. I bought an old hand-crank canning machine, set it up on my counter, and taught myself how it worked

I canned everything I could get my hands on. Some creations were wild, some were wonderful, and all of them taught me something.

Those experiments showed me I wasn’t just tinkering with recipes—I was shaping the future of canned goods. Not just seafood, but vegetables, sides, soups, broths—an entire world of delicious, honest, sustainable food that deserved to be preserved and celebrated.

Was there a turning point where you realized this was actually working?

It really started with Scout—that’s when people first began to understand what premium tinned seafood could be.

But Nice Cans is where I finally get to build the brand the way it always needed to be built—with full creative freedom, deeper sustainability commitments, and the values I hold through Langley Foods woven into every decision.

Scout was the beginning. Nice Cans is the refinement.

On Building the Brand

What does your creative or making process look like now?

I start with the ingredient—the season, the fishery, the story—and build flavour around what it naturally wants to be.

It’s chef-led creation supported by technical experts, fisheries, farmers, and our partners at José Gourmet. We iterate until it tastes like joy in a tin.

What do you prioritize when creating your products?

Taste comes first. Then sustainability, transparency, craftsmanship, and beauty—in that order.

If it’s not delicious, nothing else matters. But it must also honour the people and ecosystems behind it.

What has been the most unexpected challenge so far?

Educating people on why a premium tin costs what it does.

The canned food category has lived under the shadow of “cheap and convenient” for so long that introducing $12–$14 tins means re-teaching people what quality looks like—and what ethical sourcing truly costs.

Behind every tin are fisheries meeting rigorous MSC standards, hand-packing teams preserving flavour and texture, high-quality ingredients, small-batch production, and real people who deserve fair pay and safe working conditions.

Shifting the conversation from “emergency food” to “ethical luxury” has been challenging—but it’s also one of the most meaningful parts of this work.

And the most rewarding moment?

Hearing from customers who say our products changed how they cook, snack, or reconnect with seafood.

And watching the supply chain shift—seeing fisheries and partners seek MSC certification because we believed they deserved that recognition.

Missions, Values & Canada

Why was it important to build this as a Canadian brand?

Canada raised me—as a chef, as a creative, as a steward of the ocean. Building Nice Cans here is my way of giving back.

What does being a Canadian founder mean to you?

Leading with integrity, humility, humour, and care. Respecting the land and waters. Collaboration over competition.

It means showing the world that Canadian-made can be bold, beautiful, and world-class.

How do your values show up in your day-to-day decisions?

Through transparency with partners, fair revenue-sharing, sustainable sourcing, and saying no when something doesn’t align with our ethics.

Behind the Scenes

What does a typical day look like for you?

There’s no typical day. I bounce between product development, sales, fundraising, storytelling, fishing community conversations, and logistics.

Sometimes I’m in chef mode, sometimes CEO mode—sometimes packing boxes with my own two hands.

What’s something people would be surprised to learn?

That Nice Cans runs on a very small but mighty team—there are only two of us right now.

What are you currently learning or trying to get better at?

Building systems that scale. Scaling a global brand requires new muscles, new tools, and a lot of trust in partners.

What’s next for Nice Cans?

Global expansion. New categories. Chef-crafted vegetables, mussels, cocktails-in-a-tin, partnerships that matter, and more boldly delicious releases in 2026 and beyond.

What’s the long-term dream for the brand?

To build the most joyful, boldly delicious premium canned food brand in North America—and to redefine what a pantry staple can be.

The Nice Cans Community

Who is your typical customer? Why are they interested in Nice Cans?

Curious eaters, design lovers, eco-conscious shoppers, and people who care deeply about flavour and the story behind it.

Best piece of customer feedback you’ve received?

“This tin made me feel like I was sitting at a seaside restaurant in Portugal—except it was Thursday lunch at my desk.”

How has community shaped Nice Cans?

Community is the brand—from fishers to fans to collaborators. Nice Cans exists because people believe in deliciousness, sustainability, and joy as shared values.

Founder Favourites

Favourite Nice Cans product—and why?

Sardines with wild rosemary and fennel. They taste like home, like memory.

One Canadian brand (or brands) you’re loving right now?

SMOKE & TEARS, Gibbs Honey, Alvéole, Beck’s Broth, Barbet, Joey Seed Crisps, and Larry’s Catch.

A small pleasure you treat yourself to?

A perfectly made martini and a simple tin of sardines with crackers and cream cheese. No overthinking—just pure pleasure.

More about Nice Cans

Curious to try Nice Cans for yourself? Explore Charlotte Langley’s chef-crafted tins—designed to bring joy, flavour, and sustainability to the everyday pantry. Learn more about Nice Cans in our directory of 140+ Canadian brands.

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