Blogue
Spotlight on Local Producers on the Bistro Menu
Chef Pierre Nief blends French tradition with high-quality Quebec ingredients on the Bistro 4 Saisons menu. His expertise highlights the best local products with creativity in every dish served to you.
Here are some local producers he particularly enjoys working with.
Fresh Vegetables
During the season, the organic vegetable farm Un brin d’ail, located in Racine, supplies us with high-quality garlic and a variety of vegetables. If you would like to bring some of their freshness home, you can visit their farm stand (in summer) to stock up on fresh garlic, garlic scapes, hot peppers, and delicious Quebec-grown ginger.
Cheese and Dairy Products
The Eastern Townships are famous for their cheeses and dairy products. A simple drive through the region will show you that artisanal cheese dairies and creameries are abundant! In fact, there are so many that we work with several to showcase a great variety of products. Among our favourites are the renowned cheeses from Fromagerie Nouvelle-France and Fromagerie La Station, two institutions in the region.
You may also find cheeses from Saint-Benoît-du-Lac abbey on our menu. Their products—including Bleu Bénédictin, Fontina, Frère Jacques, and Le Moine—are crafted on-site by the monks. Visit the abbey and its shop to get your hands on them, along with their famous ciders, compotes, and spreads.
For all our milk and cream needs, we love using products from the artisanal dairy La Pinte, located in Ayer’s Cliff, as well as the renowned Laiterie de Coaticook.
Eggs and Meats
Since we offer a breakfast menu, we constantly need a large quantity of eggs. Ferme Bec-O, based in Compton, provides us with excellent eggs produced through sustainable farming. This young company with big ambitions is dedicated to producing the best eggs possible and distributing them to customers, restaurateurs, and food processors within 100 kilometres of their farm. You can even purchase their eggs yourself at their self-service farm stand.
From time to time, we feature a luxurious product that is highly appreciated by our guests: duck eggs from À la canne blanche. This Stukely-Sud-based business is the first farm in the province dedicated to producing duck eggs. These eggs stand out from chicken eggs due to their richer taste and slightly larger size.
For the finest cured meats, we are delighted to work with Les Cochons Tout Ronds, a company in Racine that crafts authentic dry-cured sausages and parma ham. If you love them at our Bistro and want to bring some home, you can find them at Marché Jean-Talon in Montreal, Galeries Gourmandes in Quebec City, and Marché des Promenades Saint-Bruno.
Specialty Products
A well-known little shop in Magog, Épices Crousset, supplies us with spices from around the world to enhance our dishes. Their extensive product catalog is filled with aromatic and exotic treasures. You can explore them yourself by visiting the shop or their website. Our tip? Check out their spice blends—the perfect shortcut to flavour in a jar!
For bread, we opt for European-style loaves from Les Vraies Richesses, an artisanal bakery in Sherbrooke. Their breads and pastries are absolutely exquisite! Stop by their shop to pick up fresh daily loaves, a baguette, or delectable desserts.
Beverages
Our sommelier, Patrick Grieve, is committed to featuring local products on his drink menu. You will find selections from Quebec vineyards, including Domaine Bresee and Léon Courville. Additionally, some of his cocktails are crafted with spirits from Cherry River in Magog. Located in a former church, this distillery offers a wide range of local spirits, including vodka, gin, rum, and fabulous liqueurs. Visit their boutique to enhance your collection of exceptional spirits.
Finally, we strive to serve you the most local cup of coffee possible. While coffee doesn’t grow in Quebec, there are excellent local roasters. We source ours from Brûlerie Virgin Hill in Foster, which offers a great selection of coffee origins, roast levels, and intensities. Love the coffee you had at the Bistro? Visit Virgin Hill’s website to get some for your home.
To discover more fantastic local producers we work with, such as Savo in Sherbrooke and Érablière Simard & Côté in Eastman, click here!
