METRO and Food Banks of Quebec unveil the third kitchen of METRO’s Shared Kitchens network

DONNACONA, May 26, 2025 - METRO, in collaboration with its long-time partner Food Banks of Quebec, is pleased to announce the unveiling of the third kitchen in the METRO’s Shared Kitchen network at Solidarité citoyenne Portneuf.

Thanks to this new METRO’s Shared Kitchen, Solidarité citoyenne can strengthen its Solidarity Food Hub offering and will now be able to offer culinary education workshops and collective cooking groups. The new installation will help limit food waste, promote access to healthy, nutritious food through various programs, create a sense of belonging within communities and provide a resource for those feeling isolated.

“The establishment of METRO’s Shared Kitchen represents a considerable asset for the Portneuf community. This food hub will enable us to process a large quantity of downgraded or unsold food, ensuring it’s redistributed within Portneuf’s food assistance network. As a central location, it will optimize our operations and provide our partners with a free and accessible space for their food-based initiatives, whether for collective kitchens or knowledge-sharing activities, thereby strengthening food security in the region,” says Karine Durocher, Executive Director of Solidarité citoyenne Portneuf.

“Our goal was to develop a program that concretely responds to local needs. We are very proud of our collaboration with Food Banks of Quebec in creating a tangible project for their food banks, allowing us to create a legacy in the communities where we operate, and bring to life METRO’s purpose to nourish the health and well-being of our communities,” says Marie-Claude Bacon, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications, METRO.

Meeting the needs of the community sector
Sharing facilities, personnel and material resources, as well as funding to build new professional kitchen infrastructures dedicated to different types of educational cooking programs will able the community organisations to better meet their needs.

“We know that the lack of resources and infrastructure remains an obstacle to the development of this type of program for our members. The funding will have a major impact in the affected communities, as organizations will now be able to do more for their beneficiaries. The enthusiasm shown by our network demonstrates the need for these types of facilities in Quebec,” says Martin Munger, Executive Director, Food Banks of Quebec.

The second edition of METRO’s Shared Kitchens is already underway, with the call for projects now open to the province's BAQ network. The new round of selected beneficiaries will be announced in the coming weeks.