Les Filles Fattoush: Syrian tradition meets local Quebec ingredients.

In the heart of Ville Mont-Royal, you'll find Les Filles Fattoush, a company founded with the goal to help Syrian women refugees integrate into the community through the universal language of food. Seven years later, they’ve carved out a niche by blending Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours with local ingredients.

From left to right, meet cooks Ghada, Seba, and Maria next to co-founder Adelle.

Adelle, Geneviève, and Josette joined forces in 2017 to build Les Fille Fattoush. It all started when documentary filmmaker Josette Gauthier came back from a war-torn Middle East with a desire to help. She saw an opportunity to help smooth the integration of Syrian women by building a space for them to make a living within an outlet they feel comfortable in: cooking. She pitched the idea to Adelle Tarzibachi - being from Syria herself and having a passion for food, she was immediately on board. Shortly after, Geneviève Comeau (a good friend of Josette with a marketing background) joined the trio, setting up a Syrian and Lebanese-focused catering business.

Since the beginning, they’ve been dedicated to helping Syrian refugees start anew in Quebec. They offer jobs that tap into their love of cooking, using recipes handed down from their mothers and grandmothers. More than 30 women have come through Les Filles Fattoush’s kitchen, whether it was to find financial independence or simply connect with a community while bringing a taste of home to their new lives. 

When the 2020 lockdown forced Les Filles Fattoush to stop their catering, they didn’t lose heart. Instead, they pivoted to ready-made meals and finding new partnerships - that’s where we came in. Always on the lookout for more and diverse local offerings, we jumped at the opportunity to join forces. Since the shift, Les Filles Fattoush have drummed up new creative recipes, bringing more Lufavores into the fold of Syrian cuisine.

Every day starts early as they line up their fresh deliveries for Lufavores. Coming from areas with ongoing conflicts, food isn’t something these women are willing to waste. Everyday, the team of ten works diligently to plan out each dish, measuring the ingredients to get exact quantities and limiting waste as much as possible.

Get a taste of these vibrant meals all year long. True to their Syrian roots, Les Filles Fattoush prioritize using local ingredients, keeping it fresh and close to home as much as possible. From salads and zesty starters to veggie mains and dishes featuring responsible beef and chicken - hit the Marketplace to try out their prepared foods crafted from one generation to the next and watch these incredible women and their thriving kitchen in action.