Montreal, December 18, 2013 – La Frissonnante, a winter strawberry grown in Quebec by Les serres René Fontaine, is currently making its debut at Les 5 Saisons, two Metro gourmet food emporiums in Montreal. Grown without pesticides or fungicides, and well protected in the greenhouses of Pierreville, in the Centre-du-Québec region, this tasty strawberry, picked and delivered that very day, surprises people with its red and juicy flesh.
These unique strawberries are in fact picked and delivered to the store that very day by Les serres René Fontaine. They are grown soil-free, in a 500 square meter research and development greenhouse where various techniques and methods are tested. Spring production will be eight times larger thanks to a new space located in Drummondville which, over time, could reach 1 hectare, meaning 40 tonnes of strawberries, in the spring of 2015.
“Our entire strawberry production will be delivered to both Les 5 Saisons stores. Our spring production will take place in a much larger greenhouse, where we will apply the very best techniques acquired in our pilot greenhouse, over a surface area of 3,300 meters. That way, we will be able to satisfy even more customers who want to buy good local strawberries!” said Joël Lalancette, Production Manager for Les serres René Fontaine.
“We always seek to maximize our relationships with innovative Quebec suppliers according to the needs of our clientele. These greenhouse strawberries are not only delicious, they are grown right here in the middle of winter, and they couldn't be any fresher because they get picked that very same morning.” said Bernadette Hamel, Vice-President, National Procurement - Produce, for Metro. “With conclusive sales results in both Les 5 Saisons stores, we will be able to extend the offer to more stores in our network in the spring.”
La Frissonnante is being offered in 551 ml containers in both Les 5 Saisons stores, located in Outremont and in Westmount.
This agreement is part of the spirit of the local purchasing policy that Metro announced last May, of which one of the three guiding principles is to make Metro the main ally of innovative suppliers. In so doing, Metro confirms its interest in Quebec suppliers who want and who are able to continuously develop their products or their production and who show growth potential with respect to distribution. Metro's local purchasing policy can be consulted on the corporate website. The 2013 update on the progress of Metro's corporate responsibility initiatives is also available. Click here to see it.
Metro Inc.
With annual sales of over $11 billion, METRO INC. (TSX: MRU), founded in 1947, is the only major Canadian food distribution company to have its head office in Quebec. Along with its affiliates and franchisees, METRO INC. employs in Quebec and Ontario over 65,000 people, whose mission is to satisfy their customers every day and earn their-long term loyalty. METRO INC. operates a network of almost 600 food stores under several banners including Metro, Metro Plus, Super C and Food Basics, as well as over 250 drugstores under the Brunet, The Pharmacy and Drug Basics banners.
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Geneviève Grégoire
Metro inc.
genevieve.gregoire@metro.ca
514 643-1000, # 2055