« From Farm to Table »: A Transatlantic Webinar Connecting Stakeholders from France and Canada

2025-04-22

On April 4, the Solidarity Kitchens - Rising Generation Edition (CSER) hosted the "From Farm to Table" webinar — in the morning for Canada and the afternoon for France.

Hosted by Eloïse Poncet, Team Leader and Coordinator at La Tablée des Chefs Canada, the webinar featured the different players involved in the CSER process: from the suppliers of raw ingredients for both recipes to the organizations distributing the meals to those in need, including teachers, students, and sponsors from both countries.

Vincent Brassard, Founder and Executive Director of La Tablée des Chefs France, opened the discussion by highlighting the importance of this event in connecting the two continents, stating: "This webinar is meant to bridge the distance between us and focus on an issue that affects us all: food insecurity."

The webinar then unfolded around five key moments:

The Role of Sponsors

Florimond Hannoteau and Camille Delcroix, sponsors for CSER Canada and France, spoke about their roles and their support for the students:

Florimond Hannoteau, Executive Chef at Hôtel Le Germain in Montreal, Quebec:

"In these uncertain and troubled times, finding comforting things, like bringing joy to others, is a real opportunity. Instead of being isolated in our own kitchens, La Tablée des Chefs allows us to be part of a network where we can share the wonderful things that cooking gives us."

Camille Delcroix, Chef at Bacôve restaurant in Saint-Omer, France, and winner of Top Chef Season 9:

"In our profession, it's easy to get trapped inside your business. Going out, meeting young people, helping them understand that eating well doesn't have to be expensive or complicated — that’s important. We must reconnect with the idea of cooking and eating well at home."

The Commitment of Producers

Lydie Saïdj from Solaal and Martin Cournoyer from Soyexpert shared their commitment and their organizations' interest in supporting CSER 2025.

Solaal, which helps agricultural businesses organize donations in France, participated for the seventh time this year. Thanks to the farmers mobilized by Solaal, more than three tons of fruits and vegetables were donated.

For Soyexpert, it was a first participation, providing Quebec-made Soykei extra-firm tofu, a responsible and local product, used for the first vegetarian CSER recipe.

Beyond their contribution, both suppliers stressed the importance of their involvement:

Martin, Soyexpert: "Everyone needs food and good food. We take part in other programs and consider it our duty to support the community."

Lydie, Solaal: "We are thrilled to show donating farmers that their products were transformed and given to associations, allowing people in need to access quality food aid."

At the End of the Chain: The Challenges of Food Aid Today

Three food distribution organizations testified to their involvement in CSER and the importance of food donations.

For all three, sourcing donations remains a major challenge, and resource availability — both material and human — can also be an issue.

However, CSER is a significant source of support for their organizations and beneficiaries, as expressed by the speakers:

Carmen Ferchault, volunteer at La Balade des Lucioles:

"The portions we received allowed us to conduct two complete outreach missions, distributing 125 meals each time. For us, it’s beyond anything we could have hoped for. Food is a pretext to create connections with isolated people."

Natacha Rodi, Manager of Material Resources at Comptoir Alimentaire l’Escale:

"In general, donations are decreasing. For CSER, there was also the challenge of getting people to discover and like tofu, but once they try it, they enjoy it."

Lissa Huneault, Director of Business Development at Moisson Montréal:

"Prepared meals like these are precious because they offer real encouragement to many beneficiaries. And when we see the commitment of everyone involved today, it gives hope for future generations."

All three organizations ended by thanking the participants and expressing their enthusiasm for the next edition.

Teachers: A Pedagogical Impact with Lasting Effects

Two teachers, regular CSER participants, also shared their perspectives: Stéphane Tulmets, teacher at Lycée Professionnel du Val-de-Bièvre:

"It’s impossible to ignore CSER, whether personally or educationally. Our job is to give — to spread happiness and hope. Every year, the momentum grows stronger."

Rock Fortin, teacher at École Hôtelière de la Montérégie:

"Our mission is to educate and feed, and CSER allows us to do both: helping those in need while teaching young people to give back. Fine dining is wonderful, but the real joy of cooking is feeding those who truly need it."

The Students' Feedback

Mossin, Enzo, and David, students at Lycée Professionnel du Val-de-Bièvre, shared how they felt about their CSER 2025 experience. Many expressed how meaningful it was to be able to help and bring joy to others, and how it motivated them to keep cooking for good causes:

"I enjoyed helping people who need support. Knowing that our meals would go to those who really need them felt good and important."

Enzo added: "I made sure to fill the jars to the brim so that they would have the best taste experience possible."

Amélie, a student at the hotel school in Guadeloupe, also shared: "It was a rewarding and innovative experience. It made us aware of the importance of solidarity and sharing — every small gesture matters. Cooking is a way to connect with others."

Conclusion

Jean-François Archambault, Founder and Executive Director of La Tablée des Chefs Canada, closed the event by saying:

"Hearing all these stories reminds us why we got involved in the first place. We could never have imagined this level of commitment and passion. It’s truly impressive to see how this movement has grown from one side of the Atlantic to the other."

For the webinar recording, please contact us at nourrir@tableedeschefs.org