SAGUENAY – Sandwich and deli shop Bistro D and sushi restaurant Temaki are teaming up to take Quebec’s Wagyu dumpling market by storm. The new regional identity, Wagyu Sag-Lac, has invested $30,000 in new equipment that will allow it to make 2,000 dumplings per hour.
“Dumplings are always ordered from Asia or the USA. There is no industrial producer in Quebec, let alone one that only offers Wagyu beef. Our service is 100% local, with the exception of the beef, which comes from Quebec. The marketing is mine, the design is by David Rousseau from Bistrot D and Mermax takes care of the sales,” says Michaël Tremblay, owner of Temaki.
Opportunistic
David Rousseau and Michaël Tremblay have known each other for several decades. They started production a few weeks ago after working on the idea for a year. “It’s difficult to get minced meat at a more expensive price than regular meat, so we found an alternative. We decided to make small sausages and dumplings with Wagyu minced beef,” explains Mr Tremblay.
With the machine, which produces 2,000 small Japanese ravioli per hour, it is possible to distribute minced meat but also obtain distribution contracts in restaurants and markets in Quebec.
Wagyu Sag Lac
Wagyu Sag-Lac has other products such as sausages, jerky, chorizo and others. Their different offers are increasingly available at different points of sale. “We support the circular economy. Wagyu Sag-Lac allows us to consolidate jobs in the region, offer a local product and develop here in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean,” concludes Michaël Tremblay.