Sask. man hopes hummus a hit with Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello knows a hit song when he hears one, but a Saskatoon-based company is also praising the critically acclaimed musician's good taste in spreads.

Costello lives in Vancouver these days and even icons need groceries.  

Recently, Yohannes Petros was set up in a Whole Foods Market there, when he spotted Costello.

"My heart skipped," Petros said.

"I said, 'Hello, Elvis … I'd like you to come try some Hanes Hummus."

Petros makes his pitch

Petros is well-known to Saskatoon grocery shoppers as the enthusiastic face of Hanes Hummus, and just because he was a little star struck, Petros wasn't going to pass up a chance to pitch his product.

"The stage was kind of mine and it was a nice moment," he said.

"To have the opportunity to speak to somebody that I spent a lot of my high school years listening to standing right there in front of me and him asking questions about what it is that I was doing — it was cool."

Even though Hanes Hummus is a humble food company still striving to achieve national distribution, it's not the first time it has made headlines for reasons other than its taste.

A few years ago, the company successfully fought a legal battle with a well-known underwear maker that shares its name.

• Saskatoon hummus maker gets a wedgie from Hanes underwear
• Saskatoon hummus maker wins battle with Hanes

By the way, Costello bought the original and the hot date hummus. Petros hopes they prove to be hits in the Costello household.