"Lifestyles may change, but the art of eating well must remain. Fleury Michon offers healthy, delicious and convenient ready-meals, the perfect solution when you're short on time and inspiration."
Danny Saint-Pierre, chef and owner, Auguste restaurant, Sherbrooke culinary consultant for Fleury Michon
MONTREAL, March 13, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The undisputed leader in fresh ready-meals in France, Fleury Michon is now available in Quebec supermarkets, with the launch of a new line of fresh refrigerated ready-meals created by an experienced team of Quebec chefs and produced locally. They're perfect for lunch at the office, a last-minute supper or a meal for one.
With recipes inspired by international flavours and new takes on classics, Fleury Michon offers creative, delicious and high quality dishes, with tender cuts of meat, richly flavoured sauces and a variety of cooking methods.
"With more than 100 years of culinary history, Fleury Michon offers Quebeckers healthy, delicious and practical ready-meals, developed with the same passion for goodness and principles of quality that have built our reputation in Europe," said Grégoire Gonnord, chair of the board of Fleury Michon.
Fleury Michon offers a varied menu of ready-meals, with something for every taste. Its bistro line boasts six dishes: beef and beer stew, chicken Dijon, pulled-beef shepherd's pie, fine herbs meatballs, chicken cacciatore, and, since early March, meat lasagna with bechamel sauce. The Asia line includes five dishes: Thai coconut chicken, sweet and sour mango pork, chicken curry, beef teriyaki and, the latest addition, General Tao chicken. Fleury Michon refrigerated ready-meals are now available at most of Quebec's main supermarket chains: IGA (Sobey's), Metro, Provigo, Loblaws, Maxi and Super C.
In addition, Fleury Michon recently introduced Surimi rolls, made with wild white fish, steamed and available in three delicious flavours at IGA (Sobey's) fish counters.
Renowned culinary expertise
The Fleury Michon products sold in Quebec are prepared and developed by local chefs who have mastered the art of creating delicious recipes. Building on the success of its collaboration with prominent star chef Joël Robuchon (16 restaurants and 26 Michelin stars), who has served as Fleury Michon's culinary advisor in France for the past 25 years, the company relies on leading fine-food experts to develop its ready-meals for the Quebec market.
The Fleury Michon products available in Quebec have been developed in collaboration with respected chef Danny Saint-Pierre, who has been a culinary consultant to Fleury Michon since 2010. He takes part in the process for coming up with ideas for ready-meals, accompanied by a team of experienced chefs who draw on Fleury Michon's technical know-how. He also participates in developing the recipes and their sensory profile, in both flavour and appearance, and contributes to the product optimization process.
"Since I'm driven by the same 'passion for good food' as Fleury Michon, I'm pleased to work with the company's team of chefs and to offer Quebeckers ready-meals made with tender cuts of meat and delectable sauces. It's savoury, simple and authentic cooking that is also creative and contemporary. When delicious taste goes hand in hand with ease of preparation, why not give it a try?," said Mr. Saint-Pierre, who is also the chef and owner of the Auguste restaurant in Sherbrooke.
Healthy, natural products
Not only do they feature great taste, Fleury Michon ready-meals are also developed with input from nutritionists to ensure they comply with the principles of healthy eating. Fleury Michon is committed to continually improving its product lines so that they respect Canadian nutritional guidelines. No artificial flavours, colours or preservatives are used in its products.
In preparing its dishes, Fleury Michon strives to use the most natural ingredients possible. Contrary to current trends in ready-to-eat products, the company is committed to producing meals that contain no hydrogenated oils, monosodium glutamate, flavour enhancers or salt substitutes.
"We pay special attention to the ingredients that go into our products. When our chefs come up with fresh dishes that are easy to reheat, we are also concerned that we're offering a meal solution that fits into a balanced diet. Fleury Michon wants to revitalize the pleasure of healthy eating, with fresh foods and superior-quality balanced meals. This is an integral part of our values and our history," explained Christian Blais, executive director of Fleury Michon in Quebec.
A unique pasteurization process
To preserve all of their freshness and flavor, Fleury Michon ready-meals are pasteurized. This technique, which is borrowed from haute cuisine, consists of a heat treatment once the product is packaged, followed by rapid cooling. Each ingredient is prepared before the final cooking process in the package. Some are precooked, others are processed raw and cooked during the pasteurization process. Pasteurization is similar to the traditional stewing technique, the difference being that instead of a lid, a hermetically sealed cover ensures food safety.
This pasteurization process, which Fleury Michon spent years perfecting, allows the product to be stored in the refrigerator for up to 30 days and produces a fresh product with superior sensory qualities (flavour and appearance).
Fleury Michon in Quebec
With the 2006 acquisition of Delta DailyFood, a frozen meal specialist serving the airline industry with operations in Montérégie, Fleury Michon set up operations in Quebec with the goal of bringing its expertise in fresh ready-meals to Canada. The interest shown by distributors in the products and the brand also influenced its decision. The shared culinary affinities with France and the importance placed on eating well weighed heavily in favour of Fleury Michon's choice of Quebec as a test market for its products in North America. Today, its Rigaud plant employs between 400 and 500 workers.
About Fleury Michon
Fleury Michon, which has been located in the Vendée region of France since 1905, had sales of 690 million € in 2012 and 3,730 employees. Since the company is primarily family-owned, it is independent in its actions and management. Of its 13 production sites, five are located the Vendée, close to its head office in Pouzauges, as well as in Brittany and Picardy; six are international (Canada, Spain, Italy, Slovenia). The company also has a logistical platform that centralizes the processing and preparation of orders for all of France, which represents 90,000 tonnes shipped and a service rate of 99.5%.
The Fleury Michon brand is an essential component of the Group's strategy. It represents close to 90% of its sales of products in French supermarkets. Active in three mass-distribution markets (deli meats, fresh catering and seafood catering), it is a leading French brand with 100% brand awareness and found in more than 75% of French households.
Internationally, Fleury Michon has 30 years of expertise in fresh ready-meals, through acquisitions and joint ventures or through licensing its technology, which represents 15% of its fast-growing sales, up 6.4% since 2011. Fleury Michon also relies on its expertise to offer solutions adapted to travel food services, the workplace and special events, as well as partnerships with food service groups. Fleury Michon is a responsible company that is committed to corporate social responsibility. It believes it is possible to reconcile economic development with social progress.
Visit us at www.fleurymichon.ca
SOURCE: Fleury Michon
Kamila Karwowski
514-843-2384
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