{"id":15431,"date":"2020-12-20T11:44:17","date_gmt":"2020-12-20T16:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legroupemaurice.com\/?p=15431"},"modified":"2023-03-17T11:48:02","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T15:48:02","slug":"le-groupe-maurices-blue-basket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legroupemaurice.com\/en\/articles\/le-groupe-maurices-blue-basket\/","title":{"rendered":"Le Groupe Maurice’s blue basket"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve been a reader for a while, you\u2019ve no doubt heard about Fresh Traditions, one of our main sources of pride. This program is designed to ensure that our residences\u2019 dining tables are heaped high with tasty dishes featuring fresh and local seasonal produce.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But don\u2019t think for a minute that we\u2019ve been resting on our laurels since Fresh Traditions was launched\u2014far from it! Groupe Maurice\u2019s food services team works day in, day out to push the limits of this program even further, not only for the residents\u2019 dining pleasure but also to boost the success of producers in Quebec and other parts of Canada.<\/p>\n

In support of Le Groupe Maurice\u2019s efforts to “shop locally,” we spoke with Maurice Chartrand, Food Services Director at the company\u2019s head office. In addition to being one of the driving forces behind Fresh Traditions, Maurice is one of the most fervent ambassadors for local products in our kitchens.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough Orientation Fra\u00eecheur<\/em><\/a>, we decided to strengthen our product selection to ensure the lowest possible level of processing. Similarly, we are constantly monitoring the market and checking the availability of local produce so we can make more room for made-in-Quebec products in our kitchens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rising to the challenge with community-based solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n

The pandemic we are currently experiencing has had a major impact on our day-to-day lives; it has also upended the way we run the kitchens in our residences. Setting aside heightened public health protocols and logistical challenges, our teams have also had to deal with supply issues and new procedures. And they\u2019ve risen to the challenge with flying colours!<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the beginning of the pandemic, we had to make a few decisions, particularly regarding products whose demand went sky-high due to the health crisis. That includes packaging, which we rarely used in the past. We encouraged the residents to have their meals delivered to their door, instead of eating in the facility\u2019s large dining room. So, the teams started delivering door-to-door and that meant we needed lots of packaging. Prior to that, what little we needed was supplied by a company in the US; once the borders closed and we faced the prospect of running out of stock, we found a new local supplier. Today, we have a new distributor in Boucherville, Carrousel Packaging, whose products are manufactured in Ontario.\u201d<\/p>\n

This same approach was used for everyday products that make their way onto residents\u2019 plates. As a bonus, Le Groupe Maurice has given various small Quebec producers access to a much larger clientele by working closely with Gordon Food Service<\/a> (GFS), our food partner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe continue to work closely with the GFS team in search of local solutions. After the major producers closed during the pandemic, we decided to do business with smaller local firms, including a ham producer based in Lac-Saint-Jean<\/a> and a sausage producer, Les gars de saucisse<\/a>, based in Richmond in the Eastern Townships. Thanks to our additional order volume with these producers, they are now included in GFS\u2019s sales catalogue. Which means they now have access to lots more clients. We\u2019re very pleased with this turn of events!\u201d<\/p>\n

To take another example, Maurice and his team replaced US-based Quaker brand with dessert products from NutriFrance<\/a>, based in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. They are also working closely with local manufacturers such as Les Viandes Premi\u00e8res<\/a> to develop products that are as natural as possible and adapted to our industry.<\/p>\n

Blue Basket: made in Quebec<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDepending on the residence, local products may account for 80% to 85% of our chefs\u2019 purchases. That really is incredible! Of course, some vegetables are harder to find when it gets colder out. And since we cook international dishes for our residents, our olive oil typically comes from Italy or Spain; our dates come from Algeria\u2026 But we\u2019re proud of our made-in-Quebec shopping basket!\u201d<\/p>\n

As Maurice Chartrand notes, at Le Groupe Maurice, not only the chefs use Quebec products. Even the vice-presidents are donning their kitchen apparel, as attested by the recipe shared this month by Claude Savard, Vice-President, Information Technology. He and Maurice prepared a lip-smacking tourti\u00e8re<\/em> based on the recipe used by Mr. Savard\u2019s grandmother, who was originally from Lac-Saint-Jean.<\/p>\n

A secret of Quebec cuisine, just for you!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maurice Chartrand also shared a closely guarded Quebec secret\u2014one that lies behind the unique-tasting seasonings used in Le Groupe Maurice\u2019s kitchens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like to extend my special thanks to the company Les \u00c9pices de Marie-Mich\u00e8le<\/a> (\u00e9mm), which helps us on our culinary odyssey! Marie-Mich\u00e8le and her team deliver directly from their shop in Chambly to our 33 kitchens. I strongly encourage all residents and readers to try her unique blends and shop on her new website.\u201d<\/p>\n

We also urge all readers to explore made-in-Quebec products, particularly in the Holiday Season. Now you can create your very own Blue Basket!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve been a reader for a while, you\u2019ve no doubt heard about Fresh Traditions, one of our main sources…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[183,305],"class_list":["post-15431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actualities","tag-orientation-fraicheur-en","tag-blue-basket"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLe Groupe Maurice's blue basket | Le Groupe Maurice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legroupemaurice.com\/en\/articles\/le-groupe-maurices-blue-basket\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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