Before launching Sweet Sauce, our founder, Adam Gilbert, spent 8 years as VP of Marketing for Pickle Barrel Group – an iconic Canadian hospitality brand with 14 restaurants, a premium concept (Glow Fresh Grill & Wine Bar), and a full-service catering division. This wasn’t a client project. It was a sandbox, a test kitchen, a strategy lab. He led a full brand transformation – from rebuilding the brand identity and launching a purpose-driven positioning to activating it across every guest and employee touchpoint. He helped shape culture internally while leading external campaigns across digital, out-of-home, and broadcast. Managing a multi-million annual marketing budget, he oversaw national media buys, content strategy, and digital innovation. That work helped fuel significant top-line growth and positioned the brand for acquisition – culminating in a successful exit to Recipe Unlimited at a premium valuation.

• Brand Rebuild: Reimagined Pickle Barrel’s visual identity and tone, helping the brand stay relevant in a crowded market.

• Catering E-Commerce Overhaul: Led the full digital transformation of Pickle Barrel Catering, turning it into a high-functioning e-commerce business with marketing automations, upsells, and CRM integration.

• Media & Marketing: Owned the full media budget – radio, out-of-home, digital, YouTube campaigns, local store marketing, even TTC billboards.

• Social & Content: Built a content engine from scratch. Food photography, storytelling, influencer partnerships, and platform strategy.

• Menu Innovation & Launches: Collaborated with chefs and operations to bring campaigns to life through seasonal menus and product storytelling.

• Leadership & Teams: Hired and led creative teams, agency partners, and in-house staff across multiple verticals.

Impact

This experience didn’t just shape a brand – it shaped Sweet Sauce. The playbook I built here now fuels our work for restaurant clients across Canada.