Exploring the ÉCONOMUSÉE® Network: Foodie Stops Across Québec

Pied-de-Vent is an artisanal cheese factory that has mastered the art of aging to enhance the flavours of the Magdalen region. The company's cheeses are made from its herd of Canadienne cows, with theirs being the only dairy cow farm in the Magdalen Islands. The herd is fed on the diversity of the Islands' forage land, without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. This type of feeding produces a unique milk that confers a distinct flavour to the Pied-De-Vent cheeses. Try these cheeses and get a true sense of the terroir: the wind, the sea spray and the Magdalen soil.

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

Fermes Urbaines Ôplant is a Montreal-based company that has imagined and designed a one-of-a-kind vertical indoor farm. Located in the heart of the city, the company produces microgreens and all kinds of greens without pesticides or GMOs, 12 months a year. Ôplant is synonymous with quality products created on a responsible farm. Their ingenuity and innovative ideas contribute to the food autonomy of urban populations while respecting the environment and creating a positive impact on the community. The farm is open to visitors every Thursday from 4 to 6pm.

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

À l'Orée des champs is a century-old family business focused on raising sheep and producing quality local lamb products. The family has been farming the land since 1925, and today, third-generation farmers Myriam and Dany perpetuate the traditions of this land while growing their business with the addition of the country table restaurant, À l'Orée des Champs. The restaurant's market cuisine draws from many influences across the region. The menu features lamb that is produced on site as well as other local specialties to create delicious cuisine that is rooted in the family land. The enchantingly beautiful site is perfect for a relaxing gourmet experience.

Notes: Fully accessible

For centuries, the Monks’ work has been a significant part of life. This has made them self-sufficient, relying solely on their work for their livelihood. In 1944, the Trappists became the owners of the local chocolate factory and continue to operate it today. Their mission is to ensure the continuity of the religious community through the production of quality products with a strong social responsibility. Since 2021, L’Économusée de la Chocolaterie has been hosting a range of activities designed to introduce visitors to the history of Trappist Monks, set in a unique and enchanting location.

Notes: Full accessibility

Located in the boreal zone, within the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, TournevenT is an agricultural enterprise dedicated to organic and gluten-free production. The farm grows several varieties of canola, industrial hemp, camelina, golden and brown flax, buckwheat, soup peas, lentils, and garlic and garlic flower. In addition to its agricultural production, its facilities include a grain sorting and cleaning centre. Tours of their facility include a visit to the fields, a lesson on cold-pressed oils, and a tasting.

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

Founded in 1948 by Elmina Fortin and Stanislas Labbé, Laiterie Charlevoix is still owned by the Labbé family today. Laiterie Charlevoix is one of the few dairy companies in Québec to have preserved the artisanal character of its cheddar cheese production methods while rigorously respecting current processing standards. Laiterie Charlevoix's products are distributed throughout Canada. Today, the company has made a major environmental shift by converting its whey into energy. It has chosen to establish partnerships with young agricultural producers in order to safeguard dairy farms in Charlevoix. Visitors can discover the history and culture of cheesemaking in the region and try a variety of tasty cheeses!

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

Atkins & Frères is a seafood processing and smoking company. The company's mission is to contribute to the convivial pleasure of good food. They use care and time to create exceptional products. The company was built around a deep family tradition for gastronomy, coupled with a great curiosity for the culinary culture and for everything related to the pleasures of the table. Come discover the history of fishing in the Gaspésie region and sample fresh, high-quality products. 

Courges & Cie Tasty produces over 200 varieties of squash, pumpkins, and other produce, all grown with a deep respect for the earth. Their market garden farm has been certified organic since 2021. Here, the artisans are committed to helping you discover hundreds of varieties of tasty fruits and vegetables, which they transform and sublimate into soups, poutines, pizzas, ice creams, and lots more. A journey for your taste buds! Visitors can enjoy the on-site bistro, which is open from March to December.

Le Bistreau d'érable is a family sugar shack where three generations produce quality organic maple syrup. The sugar shack has been in existence since 1996, with its first decade being marked by the sound of boilers and a rather rustic work environment. Today, Le Bistreau invites visitors to discover the history of maple syrup and enjoy a traditional sugar shack meal with friends. 

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

Artisan Karine Daigle’s mother-in-law originally sold her vegetables, fruits, and maple products on l'Île-d'Orléans. Karine began transforming the unsold surplus to avoid waste. Today, Compliments de Belle-Maman focuses primarily on canning local fruits, vegetables, and herbs to create zero-waste marinades, jams, and more. Karine is committed to preserving the legacy of traditional family recipes through each of her preserved products. Visit this ÉCONOMUSÉE® to discover how authenticity and craftsmanship are passed down through generations to celebrate culinary heritage with every bite.

Couleur Chocolat draws from the Gaspé landscape and offers a range of fine chocolates that delight the taste buds. Carl Pelletier has been an artisan chocolatier for 25 years. In 2008, he came back to live in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, in his native Gaspésie, to found Couleur Chocolat. The company offers chocolate sweets that are as beautiful as they are delicious, all made by hand using quality ingredients. Visit this ÉCONOMUSÉE® to learn about chocolate production, meet the makers, and try some delectable bites!

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

Located in the heart of Québec’s blueberry country, Délices du Lac-Saint-Jean specializes in growing and transforming wild blueberries. This family business offers products made from this small fruit emblematic of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. The jam makers - Émilie and Marie-Soleil Gaudreault and their mother Lisette Paré - live through their passion and pass this on to visitors through their creations. Visit their ÉCONOMUSÉE® to experience the magic of wild blueberries through all five senses. From a simple fruit, discover a world of taste that opens its doors to you.

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

Miel des Ruisseaux is a family business that specializes in the production of quality mead. Founded in 1997, the company enjoys a beautiful location that is abundant in wildflowers and away from polluting industries or industrial agriculture, which destroys bee colonies. This is why the company's honeys are of exceptional quality and purity. In 2007, Patrick began producing mead and became the only producer in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. The company is proud of its achievements and its commitment to a 100% natural and ecological product.

Notes: Unfortunately, Miel des Ruisseaux’s ÉCONOMUSÉE® pavilion was recently destroyed by fire. Their team is available to offer guests an enriching experience during their visit. The on-site shop remains open. Click here for the schedule.

Located in the Eastern Townships, Fromagerie La Station is part of the tradition of this region, which is considered the cradle of Québec cheese production. La Station is known for its deep commitment to the land, to the well-being of its animals, to farming practices that respect the environment and the rhythm of nature, and to the love of a job well done. The certified-organic farm cheese is made from the milk of its own dairy cows and reflects the flavours of the region. Discover cheesemaking in their ÉCONOMUSÉE® and try some samples!

Notes: Fully accessible

The Centre de l'Émeu de Charlevoix (CEC) is where exoticism and traditions meet! On her native land of Saint-Urbain, Raymonde Tremblay manages the largest emu farm in Canada with over 400 head. While it may seem surprising to see emus on Charlevoix land, the use of animal fat is well established in the region's tradition. CEC has been raising emus without antibiotics or hormones in a healthy and respectful environment since 1997. Come discover the unique process for producing 100% pure emu oil and extra-lean red meat in this ÉCONOMUSÉE®.

Notes: Fully accessible

In 2016, Geneviève Tremblay and Renald Lepage decided to grow the world's oldest, most sought-after and counterfeited spice known as red gold: saffron pistils. Their land boasts two fields of category A1 soil, a high-quality farming soil that is only found in the Charlevoix-Est MRC region of Québec. This farm aims to demystify saffron production and introduce this product to new audiences. Visit this ÉCONOMUSÉE® to learn more about this product in a beautiful setting!

Chez Léon & Lily is a father-daughter project where you'll be delighted by the comforting Breton-inspired cookies! Nestled on the beach in St-Irénée, this bakery produces all their pastries and sweet treats by hand. You'll find a variety of homemade and regional confections. What's more, their metal tins adorned with works by local artists will make excellent souvenirs, gifts or become guardians of your treasures once you've enjoyed their tasty contents!

Les Camerises du Lac is a family business specializing in the production of haskap berries in Lac-Saint-Jean. The company was founded in the spring of 2014 with the planting of six different varieties on 80 hectares of land: Berryblue, Indigo Gem, Toundra, Aurora, Indigo Treat and Indigo Yum. In 2021, the company introduced three new cultivars: Boreal Beauty, Boreal Beast and Boreal Blizzard. Les Camerises du Lac transforms these delicious berries into jams, cocktail products, mustards, vinaigrettes, and many other products for passionate gourmets.

Notes: Fully accessible, including the field tour

Following a famine, the inhabitants of L'Isle-aux-Coudres obtained permission to build a water mill in 1825, followed by a windmill and miller's house in 1836. The mills slowly fell into disuse before being restored in the 1980s. The restoration work respects the integrity of the mills, which still have their heavy stone millstones for grinding grain. Come discover how the artisan miller relies on the know-how of their predecessors to grind the grain on stone millstones until it becomes flour. The mills produce about ten tons of flour per year from grain produced on the island's agricultural land.

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

In 2005, 3 years after moving from Montreal to Kamouraskka, Nathalie Joanette and Samuel Gaudet founded Fou du cochon in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière. They specialize in organic and traditional sausages and other pork charcuterie products. They use traditional sea salt rather than nitrates to highlight the delicious flavour of Québec pork. 

Notes: Fully accessible

An artisan cheesemaker since 2004, Aagje transforms organic milk from her 80 dairy goats each and every day to create unique cheeses representative of her land and her goats. The process of making her organic farmhouse cheeses is quite secretive, but we do know that they are ladle-moulded in the traditional artisanal method. Gary, the goatherd, closely monitors his dairy goats throughout the seasons. With a keen eye and an exceptional familiarity with his animals, he takes them to pasture during the summer and feeds them the best hay during the winter. Twice a day, he spends quality time with his goats during their milking sessions. The special attention he pays to his animals ensures the collection of an especially rich, quality milk—the essential raw material for the work of the artisan cheesemaker.

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

Discover the secrets of smoking and the history of smokehouses with the Arseneau family, who have been practicing this traditional local craft for three generations. Smoking is an ancient preservation technique perpetuated by the Fumoir d’Antan. The know-how has been passed down through generations and ensures the quality and authenticity of the Fumoir d’Antan’s product, which includes locally-caught herring fillets, mackerel, salmon, scallops and more.

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

Discover the mouth-watering world of chocolate inside a magnificent Montebello cedar log heritage train station! Artisan chocolatier Luc Gielen and his team produce a range of chocolate specialties made on site from quality ingredients. The chocolatiers create interesting flavour combinations, often using locally sourced seasonal ingredients in the wide range of chocolates. Come see their artisans at work and try some delectable confections!

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

Côté Est is an agri-food hub committed to highlighting local products from the Bas-St-Laurent region of Québec. Visit the small village café-resto for small plates, local wines, and delicious bites, then stock up on local products in the shop. They also offer a range of foodie adventures, like a mushroom foraging tour through the Haut-Pays du Kamouraska. This concept is a unique way to discover a new taste of place.

Notes: Accessibility with assistance

In 1989, baker Clément Perron and his brothers took over the reins of one of the oldest bakeries in Roberval, founded in 1896. This bakery is a true institution, having always occupied the same site in the heart of Roberval’s historic downtown. Clément gets up at dawn to make his bread the old-fashioned way. From the choice of raw materials to the final product, Clément masters the secrets of baking. Between 400 and 500 loaves of bread come out of the ovens of this artisanal bakery every day. Come meet the baker and try one of his 15 varieties of bread.

Rediscovering our culinary heritage through the passion and warmth of the Langlois family, working the same family land since 1667 (no, that’s not a typo!). For more than 350 years, the Langlois family has worked from generation to generation to perpetuate the agricultural traditions and heritage of its ancestors. The farm’s fruits and vegetables, most of which are picked by hand, are harvested using unique skills and know-how. During the summer season, Ferme Langlois grows a variety of fruits and vegetables, including succulent Neuville corn, which has a recognized reserved designation guaranteeing the consumer the authenticity of its origin. The Langlois Farm is also known for its food transformation and canning, a know-how that is part of the family heritage. Food is prepared using family recipes and preserved using techniques that ensure freshness and flavour.

Notes: Fully accessible

La Midinette is a project by sister duo Catherine and Anne Monna, owners of the renowned Cassis Monna & filles. In a bid to offer visitors a complete taste experience that showcases local products, they opened La Midinette in 2022. This spot is an artisan bakery in the morning and a “buvette” (refreshment bar) in the afternoons. Stop by to enjoy delicious bites set against the majestic backdrop of Île-d'Orléans. 

Notes: Accessibility with assistance