Laniel St-Laurent and Cégep de Valleyfield: A successful partnership

Food services within an institution carry several essential responsibilities, including designing balanced menus tailored to users’ preferences. When an institution’s vision aligns with that of its food service provider, it leads to fruitful collaborations that benefit everyone involved. Cégep de Valleyfield and Laniel St-Laurent Food Services are an excellent example.

Founded in 1986, Laniel St-Laurent Food Services specializes in cafeteria management and catering services in primary, secondary, and college-level educational institutions. In addition to staying up to date on best practices to deliver top-quality service, this Quebec family business is recognized by the Aliments du Québec au menu program, as sourcing locally is part of its mission.

“The event Les institutions mangent local! encourages us to double our efforts in support of local producers and businesses, while also offering an exciting opportunity to make new culinary discoveries. To present a menu that highlights Quebec products year-round, our team invests significant effort in finding local suppliers and identifying substitutes for products not available in Quebec.”
— Virginie Charbonneau, General Manager of Laniel St-Laurent Food Services

To further showcase local businesses and products during Les institutions mangent local! week, six employees were mobilized to offer dishes composed of 97% local products across the various cafeteria stations at Cégep de Valleyfield, including the hot table, grab-and-go, and dessert stations. To spark students’ curiosity, bites of kalettes—a vegetable variety reminiscent of kale and Brussels sprouts—were added to all dishes to introduce this new local vegetable.

“We always strive to serve local foods that are high quality and, above all, delicious! Through our various initiatives, we are proud, as a food service provider, to play an educational role with our clientele by raising awareness about consuming Quebec products.”
— Ms. Charbonneau

To enhance the cafeteria experience, various snacks made by local companies were also distributed free of charge, courtesy of Aliments du Québec. Students could choose from SourCran by Patience & Co (tangy dried cranberries), Rebon (upcycled malted grain crackers), GoGo Quinoa Puffs (crunchy snacks), or Vitali-T (an energy oat cookie). A great way to discover Quebec products—there was something for every taste.

“I had the opportunity to visit Cégep de Valleyfield during Les institutions mangent local! week. The College is fortunate to have a food service provider like Laniel St-Laurent—they are committed and attentive to offering high-quality local foods to their clientele.”
— Charlotte Drouin, Institutional Support Officer, Aliments du Québec au menu

Cégep de Valleyfield’s administration works closely with Laniel St-Laurent to ensure users receive quality, affordable food options where Quebec products take center stage. The institution plays a crucial role in its cafeteria offering, recognizing the importance of investing in a kitchen adapted to the food service team’s needs. For example, the Cégep undertook renovations in the main kitchen, installing more efficient equipment.

“We have worked in partnership with Laniel St-Laurent from the beginning. Both of us listen to the needs of our clientele, but also to each other’s needs. It is important to stay attentive to improvements that allow the Laniel St-Laurent team to continue delivering service aligned with our values.”
— Robert Ranger, Coordinator of Material Resources, Administrative Services Department, Cégep de Valleyfield

“The institution’s exceptional support exceeds all our expectations. Their tangible involvement, remarkable investment, and genuine desire to see our collaboration thrive make Cégep de Valleyfield an invaluable partner.”
— Ms. Charbonneau

By combining culinary expertise, a commitment to local sourcing, and attentive collaboration, the successful alliance between Laniel St-Laurent Food Services and Cégep de Valleyfield demonstrates what is possible when everyone wins. Partners who share a common vision and maintain strong communication are key to offering a delicious, varied, and high-quality menu while showcasing Quebec businesses and their products—ultimately contributing to user satisfaction.

Discover more inspiring stories from the event Les institutions mangent local! >> Click here!

Les institutions mangent local! is an initiative of the Aliments du Québec au menu program (developed by Aliments du Québec and Équiterre, with the support of the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) in collaboration with the Défi je mange local.