A potato farm on Île-d’Orléans won the prestigious title of best North American potato chip producer on March 14.
Exploitation agricole GB inc. won the palme d’or among the thousands of suppliers to Frito-Lay, a division of the multinational PepsiCo, in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Photo provided by Marie-Josée Lepage
“It’s like winning an Oscar for us, rejoice two of the owners of the farm, Gabriel Blouin and his wife, Marie-Josée Lepage. It was so unexpected, it really warms our hearts.
The selection criteria for determining the winners are very strict. Each producer is judged on the quality of his product, his commitment to Frito-Lay and his compliance with the environmental standards in force in his part of the country.
“They are very conscientious when it comes to respecting the environment. I would say that the company demonstrates 10 times more rigor than what is required by the Government of Quebec,” argues Marie-Josée Lepage.
Photo provided by Marie-Josée Lepage
Loyalty
The awards ceremony took place at the annual Frito-Lay Producers Gathering in Dallas, USA. The evening got off to a great start for the three owners of Exploitation agricole GB inc., Gabriel Blouin, his son Patrick and Mrs. Lepage, when the family business earned the title of best potato chip producer in Canada.
“Already there, we hardly believed it, because there are very big players who do business with them, admits Gabriel Blouin. After 40 years of collaborating with Frito-Lay, it is very nice to receive this kind of recognition.”
Photo provided by Exploitation agricole GB inc.
Local pride
More than the awards, it’s the fact that the 500 acres of potatoes that are grown every two years on the lands of the Blouin family end up in the pantry of Quebecers that makes the winners proud.
“As [celles de] four other Quebec suppliers, all of our potatoes are processed at the Frito-Lay plant in Lévis, explains Mr. Blouin. It makes us proud to be able to feed people here with our production.”
As a result, the Blouin family claims to contribute “to the local purchasing initiative that we have been hearing regarding for a few years”. It can also boast of contributing, in part, to maintaining “450 good jobs” in the greater Quebec City region.
