Because it's sustainable and empowering!
Beyond reducing transportation costs and greenhouse gas emissions, eating locally helps to reconnect consumers with the food that ends up on their plate. As the physical distance between a farm and their plate decreases, so does the mental one, such that consumers can better learn about the story of their food and where it comes from. The 苹果淫院 Food Systems Project believes that with a greater understanding of the practices and people involved with the production of their food, consumers are empowered with the knowledge necessary to make informed choices about what they eat and where they are purchasing food from that will ultimately lead to a more sustainable food system.听
How does eating local relate to our current food system?
Eating locally encourages direct marketing and reinforces the link between the farmers and the consumers in addition to giving the consumer access to fresh, local, ecological, healthy, and delicious vegetables.
"Today, most farms sell their products wholesale through a chain of intermediaries all the way down to the shelves of the supermarket. By the time each of the middlemen takes their share of the profit, the farmer only receives a tiny percentage of the money and low profit margins are one of the factors that force small farmers to have to choose between going out of business, or increasing their scale of production until the little farm become a factory farm. This reality is reflected by the decrease in the total number of farms and the increase of average farm size. The charm of the country side still exists, but the landscape is changing fast.
听With the development of international trade, eating with the seasons has become less frequent since what doesn鈥檛 grow here in the winter, certainly grows somewhere else. In addition, with indirect marketing, it is hard for the consumers to know the origins of their food, the farmer who grew it, or how their food was produced.
听In contrast, direct marketing (when a farmer sells directly to a consumer) allows small scale farms to continue to be viable and allows consumers to know where their food is coming from and who is growing it"
听 --Ferme M茅lilot
To better understand the benefits of eating local, check out describing what a food system is, how it applies to the 苹果淫院 community and the role 苹果淫院 Food Systems Project plays in this dynamic relationship
How can you be Local?
Local Food in the Community
Montreal is a city full of culture, history and delicious food! To continue to support local food and community initiatives in the city, check out this听map听of restaurants, shops, markets and microbreweries听around the city. To find out more about spots to go, check out the student-created guide to Montreal restaurants and microbreweries below:
Or check out our听to locate Montreal businesses that support local food and community initiatives!
Restaurants
1. La Panthere Verte
- 66 St-Viateur Street West
- Hours: Weekdays 11am-8pm; Sat 11am-5pm
- Price: $3-$15
听La Panthere Verte is a cozy and casual restaurant that serves tasty, local and organic vegan and vegetarian sandwiches, soups and salads.听This restaurant has a "fresh, dynamic project whose main goal is to develop a more sustainable way of living in today's urban reality by supporting and creating local alternatives, through the use of organic, recycled materials and by raising awareness鈥�. This is a great place to ask questions and learn more about their initiative.
2. Aux Vivres
- 4631 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
- info [at] auxvivres.com
- Hours: 11:00am-11:00pm听 Seven days a week
- Price: expect to pay $18-30 (including tea/smoothie or a dessert)
For vegans and those who just want delicious, organic and healthy food, Aux Vivres has something to offer.听 With a funky ambiance and a patio, enjoying unprocessed and healthy food never felt better.
3. Santropol
- 3990 St Urbain
- 514-842-3110
- Hours: 10h30 to 22h00
- Price: $6-$15
听Santropol is a montreal classic that is well known for their diverse selection of amazing sandwiches.听As well there is a large variety of drinks, salads/soups and deserts. Enjoy one of their dishes in their back garden, or feel free to relax and use their wireless.听Santropol focuses on quality food and community and is working towards integrating more locally sourced and organic food.
4. Fait Ici
- 2519 Notre-Dame Ouest
- 514-439-3888
An eco-concscious urban general store that showcases high quality products primarily made in Quebec. Most of the products are labelled with source and distance. A great place to pick up meats, dairy products and vegetables from Quebec farmers. As well there are locally made beauty products and a small restaurant and prepared foods.听The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and willing to answer questions and have discussions!听Steps from Atwater market and Solin Hall
5. 听Bonnys
- 1748 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
- 514-931-4136
- Price: Expect to pay $10-$15.
Bonnys is an organic whole food restaurant with a intimate and relaxed ambience. Bnnys is committed to fresh homemade food that is 90-95% organic.听The restaurant serves fresh and prepacked vegan and vegetarian dishes as well as local beers and wines.
6. La Faim Du Monde
- 4110 rue St Denis (up from Duluth)
- 514-510-4244
- Hours of Operation: Tuesday and Wednesday: 11am-9pm, Thursday-Saturday 11:30am-11pm, Sunday: 11:30m-10pm
- Price: Expect to pay $8-$14 (not including drinks)
With a focus on organic, macrobiotic and vegan friendly food as well as a variety of international flavours, La Faim du Monde will satisfy all tastes.听The restaurant has a warm, intimate ambiance and a relaxing patio.听Try their Indian Dahli du Jour for $8 on Tuesday evenings! As well, check out their locally sourced beer and organic and fair-trade teas and coffees.
7. ChuCai/Chuch Express
- 4088 Rue Saint Denis
- chuchai.com听
- 514-843-4194
- Hours:
- Chuch Express: Monday-Sunday 11am-10pm
- ChuChai: Monday-Sunday 5pm-10pm
- Pice: Expect to pay about $15-$25/person.
听ChuChai/Chuch Express are fine vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Chuch has the same menu but is a BYOB and a little more informal. A lot of delicious fake-meat options and use organic produce.听Great for a large group, birthday, or a dinner out with parents!
8. Crudessence
- 105 Rue Rachel Ouest
- 514-510-9299
- Price: expect to pay $15-30 (including tea/smoothie and dessert)
Crudessence is a raw and living food (vegan) restaurant that has organic, and some locally sourced products on their menu. Entres include听 Lasagna (made from zucchini and cashews), and vegan burgers and salads.听With intimate seating and a patio just steps from Jeanne-Mance park, Crudessence is more than a restaurant but an educational resource. If you'd like to learn more about raw food, go to a cooking workshop or just stop in for a smoothie; don't hesitate to stop by!
Microbreweries听
Benelux Brasserie Artisanale
Benelux (Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg) is inspired by european and West Coast style beers. The brewery has the goal of promoting diversity of beers (12 beer varieties at a time) and to widen the palate of their customers!听 Benelux is a roomy and open bar with island bars for room for everyone to put down their glass and chat. Come to Benelux to enjoy a hockey game, a wide variety of music and the 鈥渃ask conditioned ales鈥� event every Thursday at 4pm. With a great terrace and home brewed drinks, Benelux is a unique spot just a few blocks from 苹果淫院. See if you can spot their tanks where the beer is made behind the bar and try a pint of beer during happy hour for $4.75
Bi猫res & Compagnie
听This restaurant/bar is for beer lovers. Many of the meal recipes are inspired by beers and use beers as key ingredients: try the beer infused salad dressings, nachos, and selections of meat. Bieres & Compangnie serve over 100 types of beer from all over the world,听 including many microbreweries from Quebec.听 Beers from Blainville, Granby, Chambly, Brossard and the Plateau Mont-Royal (all Quebecoise breweries) are featured.
Brasserie McAuslan Brewery
McAuslan Brewery is the result of Peter McAuslan鈥檚 belief that he could brew a delicious beer and that the Quebec consumers would provide a loyal following for it. After 20 years, McAuslan is still committed to being active in the community and protecting the environment.听Visiting the Centre St-Ambroise, where the beer is brewed is a unique experience. The Centre St-Ambroise hosts regular events including music shows, film screenings, as well as workshops and of course, beer tastings. It boasts a terrace alongside the Lachine Canal (a short bike ride from Atwater Market along the water). Visit the terrace for a great weekend activity to escape from the noisy city and enjoy the peace of the water and a home-brewed beer.听If you鈥檙e not up for a trip down to the brewery, you can still savour the delicious Griffon, St. Ambroise and McAuslan beers from your local grocery store, including the four beers that are brewed exclusively in season and include: Apricot Wheat Ale, brewed in the spring; Raspberry Ale, available during the summer months; Spiced Pumpkin Ale for the fall; and Strong Ale, for the winter.
Brutopia 1219 Crescent St. 听 听 听 听 听听
Brutopia is a fun microbrewery with 3 floors and 3 terraces to please any customer at all months of the year. Brutopia uses mostly Canadian malt to brew their all-natural beers. There are 8 hour beers on tap, 5 which remain year round and 3 that change with the season. Seasonal beers include: Maple Rousse, Mild, Ginger Beer and Chocolate Stout.听Their kitchen serves a wide selection of tapas, great finger food and sandwiches.听Tours and tastings are always available as well: just call or email to arrange a tour. (A great floor event!)听Happy hour is from opening until 8pm every day except Monday when happy hour is all day and night. Happy hour at Brutopia offers special pricing on house beers and mixed drinks.听Check out Brutopia鈥檚 website to see what events are in store for the evening!
Dieu du Ciel!
Dieu du Ciel is a busy and happening bar that offers pub fare and a wide variety of their top quality and original home-brewed beers.听 The microbrewery focuses on the respect of their employees and the environment.听 Brewers continue to experiment with new recipes in hopes of creating new ales, thus the list of beers (written on the walls) changes throughout the year.听 Dieu du Ciel is a great place to go in the afternoon and tends to get very busy in the evenings. It鈥檚 a great place to check out before heading to a concert in the area.听 Check out their list of restaurants and shops to purchase their beer around Montreal as well!
Helm
HELM is a French acronym for Hops, Water Yeast and Malt. As the name indicates, they are serious about their beers. You can taste test a variety of beers, or just sip your favourite. HELM also promotes local products that include: Qu茅bec beers, ciders and fresh food.
L'Am猫re 脌 Boire
L'Am猫re 脌 Boire usually offers 8-10 beers on tap and 2 exceptional beers on cask. Beer on cask means that it is neither filtered, nor pasteurized, nor pushed by carbon dioxide during the service. 鈥淭his "non-intervention" makes it such that these beers preserve all of their flavours and gives them a mouth feel so smooth that you will have the听feeling of drinking a cloud.鈥� (www.amereaboire.com) The German and Czech-inspired ales and lagers are made on site. Come down for some low-priced food, delicious beer, and discover one of Montreal鈥檚 gems!
La Taverne du Cheval Blanc
La Taverne du Cheval Blanc is a local tavern that welcomes people from all walks of life, and many regulars who visit the bar for their Hungarian inspired food and delicious beers. There is a beautiful terrace and almost always art to exhibit inside, as well as life music of varying sorts. If you鈥檙e not up to the adventure of visiting the Tavern, you can pick up Cheval Blanc beer at most grocery stores!
Le R茅servoir
While you鈥檙e walking along St. Laurent or Deluth don鈥檛 miss Le Reservoir. Le Reservoir听 attracts a mature crowd of students, artists and other community members. With a rooftop terrace and fresh food, le reservoir is a great mix between trendy bar and comfortable restaurant. Their beer is brewed on site and has many varieties as well as a knowledgeable staff to give information about their products!
Les 3 Brasseurs
Wherever you are in Montreal, it鈥檚 likely that Les 3 Brasseurs is near by. However each of their many locations is dedicated to simple pub fare, and fresh, non-pasteurized beer made from the purest ingredients and from traditional recipes 鈥� all brewed right at the heart of each of our restaurants for patrons to see. Enjoy the mincrobrewery installation with bags of barley and aging barrels of beer alongside European and Quebecois d茅cor. A great place to bring friends visiting montreal, or to go for a relaxed meal with friends.听
Farmers Markets
Get involved this summer with a local farmers鈥� market and support Montr茅al-based farming initiatives!
See this great online database of local farmers鈥� markets,听, and check out the markets listed below:
See听for more information.
| MONTREAL FARMER'S MARKETS | |
|---|---|
| Atwater Market | 38 Avenue Atwater,听Montr茅al.听Open Mon-Wed 7am-6pm; Thu-Fri 7am-8pm; Weekends 7am-5pm. |
| Jean-Talon Market | 7070, av Henri-Julien,听Montr茅al.听Open Mon-Wed,Sat 7am-6pm; Thu-Fri 7am-8pm; Sun 7am-5pm |
| Coop la maison verte | 5785 Sherbrooke ouest, Montr茅al. Ferme du Z茅phyr sells their products here on Thursdays, 3pm-7pm or Saturdays, 10am-3pm. |
| Coop des bons voisins | 247a Lakeshore Road, Pointe Claire. Tuesdays from 4pm-7pm. |
CSA (Food Bins & Baskets)
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a form of direct marketing which aims to build a partnership between a farm and the citizens which it feeds. The CSA model evolved from citizens鈥� need to rekindle a connection to the land that feeds them. Direct marketing (when a farmer sells directly to a consumer) allows small scale farms to continue to be viable and allows consumers to know where their food is coming from and who is growing it. These听organizations and farms offer food boxes from local farmers or otherwise wasted grocery store surplus for a reduced price. Food boxes and baskets are not only a great way to eat local but are also an excellent opporunity to discover seasonal fruits and vegetables in Montreal! Furhtermore, hey are a great way to start reducing your ecological footprint and become more consious of the food you eat and where it comes from.听Prices usually range between $10-20 depending on the size of your order and are听often delivered to various neihborhood pick-up centers throughout the city.
Check out our list of听CSA farmers [pdf]to find out how you can join the movement and start reconnecting to your food!听
| 听Nearby organizations that provide food boxes and baskets.听 |
|---|
| A non-profit student service that operates on the 苹果淫院 Campus and are dedicated to bringing local organic fruits and vegetables to the community at affordable prices as well as education on healthy and sustainable food practices. They provide pre-paid food baskets to 苹果淫院 during the fall, spring, and summer months An annual Fall event on 苹果淫院's downtown campus, the Market provides students, employees, and neighborhood residents the opportunity to buy fresh, healthy, organic and local food directly from the farmers who produce it. They provide pre-paid food baskets to 苹果淫院 during the summer. The Yellow Door mission is to promote dialogue, connectedness and intergenerationality; to provide oppertunities for service, and to stimulate artistic expression. They provide pre-paid food baskets of grocery store surplus year-round.听 Regional program operated by Moisson Montreal, offers individuals and families the opportunity to buy fresh, nutritious, and high quality fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. They provide pre-paid fod baskets year-round to Mac Campus. Check out thier听!听 Lufa Farms grows more than 25 varieties of vegetables and fresh produce on thier rooftop farm for local consumers. They also provide root vegetables and certain natural produce items from other local Quebec farmers. Order your year-round pre-paid food basket online |