Brisket, Buc-ee’s & Big Ideas plus Spilling the Tea Tariff & guest Tonia Jahshan of Sipology Steeps Up Global Growth

This episode of The Food Professor Podcast is steeped in insights, storytelling, and smoky Texas flavour. Hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois kick off with a deep dive into the state of Canadian agri-food policy, tariffs, and food inflation before welcoming a very special guest: Tonia Jahshan, Founder and CEO of Sipology.

Broadcasting remotely from Texas, Sylvain shares updates from his new role as head of the prestigious Masters in Agribusiness program at Texas A&M University—ranked #1 in the U.S. and #3 globally. He offers behind-the-scenes insights into the world of American ag education, donor-funded infrastructure, and his leadership plans. Amidst meetings with deans and exploring campus, Sylvain visits a Texas institution of another kind—Buc-ee’s, the legendary convenience store-meets-theme-park known for its brisket, wall of jerky, and award-winning bathrooms. The hosts revel in Buc-ee’s cult status and then Michael highlights the newly released Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ list, the Michelin Guide of Texas barbecue. Sylvain, a BBQ enthusiast, is already planning future brisket pilgrimages.  Congrats to our guest on the #pod from earlier this year Chuck Charnichart from Barb's BQ for making the list!!

From Texas to Toronto, the episode pivots to policy with an analysis of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new mandate letter. Sylvain critiques its lack of clarity for the agri-food sector, calling for a shift from farm-gate thinking to value-chain strategy. The hosts then turn to the thorny issue of tea tariffs, which are hitting Canadian importers hard despite recent government reprieves. With tea being a $1.3 billion market in Canada—and nearly all of it imported—these tariffs are creating real cost pressures. The duo also revisits the long-running bread price-fixing investigation, discussing Loblaw’s recent $500 million class action settlement and why the Competition Bureau’s probe remains unresolved.

In the second half of the episode, Tonia Jahshan joins the pod live from the SIAL Canada show floor. The inspirational founder of Sipology (formerly Steeped Tea) shares her origin story: how a single sip of loose-leaf Earl Grey in Nova Scotia after a miscarriage led to a wellness-focused tea empire. From launching a side hustle to pitching on Dragons’ Den, growing to 8,000 consultants, and creating Health Canada-approved products like menopause relief teas and fizzy matchas, Tonia’s entrepreneurial journey is one of resilience, reinvention, and remarkable growth. Now expanding globally and embracing an omni-channel model, she’s brewing up a bold new future for Sipology.

With a rich mix of policy insights, business strategy, entrepreneurial inspiration—and a side of Texas BBQ—this episode is a flavourful must-listen.

About Us

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.

Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. 

He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. 

Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.

With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues.

 Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast.  He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.