Setting sail on a new partnership with Le Pain dans les Voiles.
In a sunlit corner of Villeray’s neighbourhood bakery, some lucky members of our team spent the afternoon with the Duvernay-Tardifs, where we learned the ins and outs of what goes into making their fluffy croissants. Sitting down with Laurent and his parents François and Guylaine, the family was brought back to the nostalgic days of 2009 when they first opened Le Pain dans les Voiles.
Who doesn’t know Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, the offensive lineman who graduated from McGill University with a medical degree in 2018 and won the Super Bowl in 2020, all while staying involved in his parents’ company? If a toque blanche and a football helmet are too many hats, the least we can do is give him a tote bag to carry them all as he joins our bakery lineup
Get to know the family behind Le Pain dans les Voiles.
As trained agronomists and winemakers, Guylaine Duvernay and François Tardif were itching to take a step back from the wine world and try something new. Intrigued by the prospect of running a bakery, François fell in love with the idea of giving folks a petit bonheur to take home each day. Twelve years later, they have three hustling and bustling bakeries in Villeray, Saint-Bruno, and Mont-Saint-Hilaire - each known for their extremely friendly staff and consistently fresh bread and pastries made with local ingredients.
In preparation for the couple’s eventual retirement, Laurent started taking over the Villeray location and brand in 2020. Though Laurent always talked about leading the business one day, Guylaine and François were still surprised when he followed through. Laurent’s admiration for his parents’ inherent belief in sustainability is what motivates him to continue the legacy they built for over a decade.
From grain to bread - local, sustainable ingredients is their top priority.
The Duvernay-Tardifs have always been believers in creating top-quality products from their own backyard and supporting their local economy above all else. They work with passionate farmers and millers in the Charlevoix and Montérégie regions to make their very own flour. Not only has this created 100% traceability for their bread and pastries, but they distribute their flour to 12 other bakeries in Quebec.
They've recently expanded to beyond just baked goods, delving into charcuterie. One of their newer products is their dry sausages, prepared by farmers who raise pigs out in the Eastern Townships in a stress-free, free-range environment, supplementing their feed with the leftover bread from the bakery.
A partnership based on a common mission.
Despite his busy agenda, Laurent was eager to partner with us and add their frozen croissants, chocolatines, sausages, and organic jams to our lineup. He reached out to Sophie (the mastermind behind our bakery and pastry products), because he felt we share the same overarching mission to feed folks in and around our neighbourhood, using products sourced locally and sustainably. With their finger on the pulse, and their inherent desire to support local producers, we’re so excited to see how far this partnership goes and what new ideas and products the team over at Le Pain dans les Voiles will add to the Marketplace in the future.
