It is December 28, 2020, on a beautiful winter morning during our Christmas holidays. The phone is ringing...
- Hello, are you the people behind the chive blossom vinegar?
- eh yes?
- My brother gave me a bottle of your vinegar for Christmas. I must tell you that in 25 years of business, I have rarely seen a product like this! It's delicious, it's beautiful, it's unique, I love it! I want to help you!
Josée Lacasse, Category Manager at Pasquier
The magic often operates in avenues that one imagined impossible to borrow.
Pasquier is the largest independent grocer in Quebec. It has two mega grocery stores, one in Saint-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu and the other in Delson. Pasquier is also a distribution center for a large number of small independent grocers in Quebec and an online store. But Pasquier is above all a large family of 400 employees, and this family character can be felt as soon as you work with this dynamic team.
Link : Youtube
Pasquier was the third establishment to open its doors to us, but the first large chain. This family business has survived the ages and is now in the hands of a third generation of grocers.Despite the company's success and its large size, its independent status allows it to focus on local purchases and promote small producers like the Humminghill Farm. So faced with this opportunity, we made the decision to transform our small artisanal production of chive flower vinegar, a nice hobby developed during COVID, into an agri-food business.
The validation and support that the Pasquier team (Josée, Nancy, Monique, and Marilyne) gave us the energy to structure our operations, follow the training required by MAPAQ, develop 2 other recipes to increase our offer, recruit Audrey, design a second version of 'packaging' that complies with labeling and food packaging standards, set up a commercial kitchen on the farm and set up a pricing strategy; all in 90 days,
yes ... in 90 days!
👍👌😂🙌✔
What is magical about this story is that the entrepreneurial legacy of Viateur Paquette , the founder of the company in 1960, is still present in this great team where each person has the freedom of action to make things happen. We feel a particular energy in Pasquier. Our vinegars would never have entered a big banner because we were too small, unstructured, and unknown, but at Pasquier, it was almost an asset: an opportunity for the team to offer a new product to their customers. and support local purchasing.
At Pasquier, a good product becomes the project of an entire team, and the bet of a success story
Even more, this adventure allowed us to gain notoriety quickly. Our vinegars are now available in 16 points of sale, from Sherbrooke to Montreal. Pasquier supported our development without any territorial restrictions, once again confirming its leadership in the field of independent grocers in Quebec and its support for local producers!
So we strongly invite you to visit a Pasquier. If you've ever wondered if your experience in a grocery store affects your relationship with food, then take a look.
The service is engaging and committed and each grocery sector is a small world of discovery, a grouping of several fine grocery stores revolving around a traditional grocery store.
You will find our vinegars at the Terroir & Découvertes boutique managed by the charming Monique!
Hope to see you there!
Maxime and Richard