The dishes prepared by the chef apprentices at the École hôtelière de la Capitale are enjoying unprecedented success: hundreds of people line up every day to stock up on gourmet products at affordable prices.
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At a time when grocery bills are skyrocketing, duck confit legs, spaghetti sauces, chicken hunter dishes, lobster thermidor, soups, homemade sausages, pastries and cakes of all kinds, to name just these examples, are between 20 and 30% sold. cheaper than in the supermarket, sell like hotcakes at the counter.
Several soups and sauces were for sale at the counter at the École hôtelière de la Capitale last week. Photo provided by École hôtelière de la Capitale
Last week, more than 300 people lined up every day, sometimes up to two hours before the doors opened, to get cooked meals.
“The quality level of the food is not comparable to what you can find ready-to-eat in the supermarket. There is French cuisine here, there is a lot to choose from and yes, it is also cheaper than in the supermarket,” says Micaël Papillon, the house’s educational advisor.
The educational advisor of the École hôtelière de la Capitale, Micaël Papillon (left), accompanied by the institution's director (right), Mathieu Bilodeau. Photo Stevens LeBlanc
New customers
For his part, the school's director, Mathieu Bilodeau, affirms that the number of customers who come to stock up between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. has diversified greatly in recent months. “There are people of all ages, both retirees and mothers,” he explains.
“Ready meals are often sold at the cost price of the food. We are an educational institution, I cannot sell to make money. We do this to avoid food loss and to make it productive for our students,” says Mr. Bilodeau.
The offering at the counter, which is only open during the week, varies daily as it depends on the performance of the school's approximately 550 students, the largest cohort in the last 10 years.
The counter at the École hôtelière de la Capitale, which is open on weekdays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., is becoming increasingly popular. Photo provided by École hôtelière de la Capitale
Therefore, the prices and the selection of dishes, in very limited quantities, are never announced in advance, emphasizes Mr. Bilodeau.
Also butcher
Even the students like to shop at the counter, says Loan Rioux, a 19-year-old DEP culinary student. “This is how I do my grocery shopping. It costs me about $50 a week and I eat a lot,” he says.
There is also a lot of traffic at the butcher counter, which is open about ten days a year, says Mr. Papillon.
“The butcher shop opens at 10 a.m., but it's not uncommon to see people lining up to pick up meat as early as 8 a.m.,” he says, as students learn about all types of cuts of meat. Meat.
Students at the École hôtelière de la Capitale learn how to prepare some of the pork. Photo Stevens LeBlanc
Following the students' butchery training, several cuts and types of fresh meat are offered for sale at the counter every week. Photo provided by École hôtelière de la Capitale
A sign that cheap food is drawing crowds: Reservations for gourmet meals served at Hotel School's restaurant have never been more popular. “All online availability for lunch and dinner is gone within a few hours,” explains Mr. Papillon.
All meal times are available on the 1st day of the month on the École hôtelière de la Capitale website.
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