This article written in french by Corinne Prince was automatically translated using AI
In the coming weeks, about a hundred students from the École hôtelière et d’administration de Laval (EHAL) will prepare 5,000 meals for Moisson Laval as part of Cuisines Solidaires – Éditions Relève, an initiative by La Tablée des Chefs.
EHAL was the first school to join La Tablée des Chefs for this program back in 1998—before the non-profit organization was even founded—aiming to raise awareness among future chefs about food insecurity.
Since then, the two organizations have collaborated to produce thousands of meals for people in need in Laval. Under a regular EHAL curriculum, students would never have the opportunity to work on such a large-scale food production project.
“This activity allows students to develop educational skills in large-scale food production, similar to what is done in major convention centers or institutional kitchens, while giving back to the community,” explains Jean-François Archambault, General Director and founder of La Tablée des Chefs.
This year, nearly 100 students, supported by their teachers, will prepare 5,000 portions of vegetarian chili using a recipe developed by Yvon Tremblay, one of the pioneers of tofu democratization in Quebec.
Five student groups will take part in the initiative, each dedicating about two days of work to produce 1,000 meals.
“When you throw away food because it’s ‘no longer good,’ you might as well take a banknote and toss it in the trash—it’s the same thing,” emphasizes Martin Vallée, chef and instructor at EHAL. “We don’t want that to happen. Being in a school doesn’t mean we ignore this issue; on the contrary, we want to train our students to enter the profession with this awareness. Nothing is wasted. We transform as much as possible. We make the most out of everything.”
This culinary initiative is especially significant as it marks the first edition held in EHAL’s new facilities at the Complexe Cunard in Chomedey, where the school relocated in fall 2024.
Moisson Laval, which has seen a significant rise in food aid requests in recent years, will receive the 5,000 vegetarian chili portions and distribute them to 70 local food aid organizations. These organizations will then deliver the meals directly to citizens in need.
“Every flavor you bring, all the love and passion you put into these meals, will help someone today, tomorrow, or even 15 years from now to have a full stomach,” expressed Maude Lussier, Head of Philanthropic Development at the Centre de bénévolat et Moisson Laval, with gratitude.
In Laval, 1,000 additional portions will also be prepared by students in the Dietetics program at Collège Montmorency. Altogether, the initiative by La Tablée des Chefs will provide 12,000 meals to food banks across Quebec.
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