Attitude Fraîche: More Than Just Salads!

What Are Quebecers’ Favorite Salads, Based on Your Best Sellers?

First of all, it’s important to know that Quebecers enjoy eating salad year-round. However, we see a peak in January and February, when people make health resolutions, as well as during the summer, when fresh local vegetables are available in abundance.

Arugula and baby spinach are our top sellers. In fact, arugula is probably the product that has seen the biggest rise in popularity in recent years. That’s largely because Ricardo—everyone’s favorite—puts it everywhere: on pizza, in pasta dishes, or in salads! He’s made arugula truly accessible. As for baby spinach, it’s loved for its versatility. It’s just as delicious raw as it is cooked.

How Long Does It Take to Grow an Attitude Fraîche Salad?

Growing salad is quite the challenge. It’s one of the most perishable foods. We have only 21 days between harvest and the expiration (“best before”) date! That’s why we work extremely quickly and efficiently so consumers can enjoy a product with incredible freshness.

We plant the seedlings in April and begin harvesting our salads in June, continuing all the way through October. They are then washed and packaged in our facility located right next door. The maximum distance between a field and the plant is just 13 km (8 miles)! That way, no time is wasted between harvesting, washing, and packaging.

Innovation Also Applies to Packaging. What Makes Yours Special?

To protect our vegetables and salads during transportation and keep them fresh and crunchy for as long as possible, we need to use semi-rigid packaging. We were looking for an environmentally responsible solution to meet this need.

We were the first to develop, in partnership with Cascades, a recyclable tray made entirely from 100% recycled plastic. And this was no small effort—we package over one million salads every week! It was absolutely worth it. Consumers wanted it, and so did we. First and foremost, we are farmers, and we truly care about the well-being of the land. The environment is a top priority for us.

Each year, thanks to this initiative, more than 4,000 metric tons of plastic—the equivalent weight of 30 blue whales—are diverted from landfill sites and recycled instead.

Are You Working on New Products?

Yes—constantly. We dedicate over 1,200 plots in our fields to testing nearly 500 different varieties of lettuce seeds every year, with the goal of continuously improving our products.

We’re currently working on developing a spring-mix-style salad that can withstand a thicker dressing. Baby greens are fragile and tend to wilt when paired with heavy, creamy dressings. That’s why they’re usually best enjoyed with just a drizzle of oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

What Is Attitude Fraîche’s Greatest Source of Pride?

Being a company that brings together many local families. It all began with three brothers—the Van Winden family—who immigrated from the Netherlands in 1952. Seventy years later, including our partner farms, nearly 50 brothers, sisters, cousins, and extended family members across three generations now work within the Attitude Fraîche family.

We’re also extremely proud to say that we package salad year-round in Quebec and provide jobs for a great many Quebecers: more than 1,000 dedicated employees work with us! We are deeply committed to showcasing local products and supporting the local economy.