A&W burger chain makes sauce switch to French’s

TORONTO— French’s ketchup has won over another fan — the company that runs A&W restaurants in Canada.

A&W says it has now decided to serve French’s Tomato Ketchup and Classic Yellow Mustard in all of its restaurants across Canada.

The company has 850 locations, making it the second-largest burger chain in Canada.

A&W’s endorsement is the latest publicity win for French’s ketchup, which became an Internet and media darling after a man’s Facebook post lauded the U.S.-based company for using 100-per-cent Canadiangrown tomatoes.

The post sparked a social-media debate about the quality of the sauces and even prompted grocery chain Loblaws to shelve its plans to stop stocking the more Canadian French’s ketchup.

The burger chain says it’s always looking for Canadian suppliers and already uses tomatoes from Leamington, Ont., while its A&W Ketchup is produced and packaged in Ontario.

French’s Food Co. says A&W is the first national restaurant to serve its ketchup and mustard.

Condiment king Heinz moved production out of Leamington in 2014, while French’s continues to use the region’s tomatoes, though for now the product is manufactured in neighbouring Ohio. The company says it is negotiating to begin production in Ontario.