Latest news with #Jean-FrançoisArchambault
Cision Canada
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
A GUINNESS WORLD RECORD… IN QUÉBEC CITY? Français
QUÉBEC CITY, Aug. 7, 2025 /CNW/ - What if the Capitale-Nationale officially earned a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title? This year, the Grands Feux Loto-Québec are calling on everyone to come together and break a world record — right here, in Québec City and Lévis! Tonight, everyone is invited to the biggest Pajama Party ever— a festive, inclusive and free event. Dressed in their funkiest two-piece pajamas, friends, families, and colleagues are encouraged to take part in this unique moment to help shine a global spotlight on Québec City and Lévis. It's a one-of-a-kind opportunity to make history! A record to beat... in slippers The current world record for the largest gathering of people wearing two-piece pajamas is held by IKEA, which brought together 2,051 employees in Älmhult, Sweden, in 2024. "We attract tens of thousands of people every night, so breaking this record is definitely within our reach," says Jean-François Archambault, Event Director of the Grands Feux Loto-Québec. "We're confident we can do it — on both sides of the river!" Everyone is invited to slip into their finest two-piece pajamas and join us at Place des Canotiers in Québec City or Quai Paquet in Lévis to experience a historic moment — all in maximum comfort! The official count for the world record attempt will take place at 9 p.m., but the festivities begin as early as 6 p.m. A fun and memorable evening awaits, culminating in a spectacular pyromusical fireworks show lighting up the sky at 10 p.m. Slumber party under the stars In addition to the world record attempt, the Pajama Party night will feature a wide range of cozy-themed activities. On the program: Live recording of the Party Pyjama podcast with Marina Bastarache and Maxime Gibeault, joined by special guest Math Duff A pop-up shop from POP Underwear, for anyone wanting to grab a stylish pajama set on-site A creative sleep mask decorating workshop, hosted by POP Underwear A skincare booth by Epiderma, perfect for a little nighttime self-care Coffee tasting by Trema, to stay energized throughout the night A DJ set featuring all the greatest slumber party hits Food trucks and bars on both shores Enhance Your Experience While the event is completely free, several partners are offering ways to enhance your experience with various packages and activities. Reserved seating tickets are also available in both Québec City and Lévis, offering a more VIP-style experience. Visit the Grands Feux Loto-Québec website for details. Opt for Public Transit To ease transportation, Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) will provide multiple options, including regular and high-frequency buses, park-and-ride lots, and the àVélo bike-share service. In Lévis, the Société de transport de Lévis will offer a shuttle service during each event. Choice Partners The GFLQ are honoured to count on committed partners to present a free, inclusive, and accessible event for everyone. The GFLQ benefit from the valuable support of Loto-Québec, TD Bank Group, the Ministry of Tourism, the Secrétariat à la Capitale-Nationale, the City of Québec, the City of Lévis, Destination Québec cité, the Port of Québec, Groupe Océan, QSL, Croisières AML, the Commission de la capitale nationale, the Société des Traversiers du Québec, as well as many other private and media partners. About the Grands Feux Loto-Québec Founded in 1995, the Grands Feux Loto-Québec present world-class pyromusical shows every summer, uniting the cities of Québec and Lévis. Fired from a stabilized barge in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, these high-precision performances attract over one million visitors each year who come to admire this unique spectacle lighting up a spectacular setting. Since 2012, the event has been organized by Les Créations Pyro, an NPO based in Québec City.
Cision Canada
06-08-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Marriott International and La Tablée Des Chefs Combat Food Insecurity with Announcement of 2025 Ready-To-Cook Soups Goal
BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 6, 2025 /CNW/ -- Marriott International today announced the expansion of its partnership with Canadian nonprofit La Tablée des Chefs, strengthening its commitment to addressing food insecurity across Canada. Through the ready-to-cook soups initiative, the two organizations will work together to distribute 500,000 portions of soups to communities in need by the end of 2025. This initiative builds on Marriott's long-standing efforts to support and uplift local communities and is closely aligned with the company's global sustainability and social impact platform, Serve360. The program is featured in Marriott's 2025 Serve360 Report, which outlines the company's progress toward its environmental and social responsibility goals. "At Marriott International, we believe in the power of hospitality to make a meaningful difference," said Paul Cahill, Chief Operations Officer, Canada, Marriott International. "Our expanded partnership with La Tablée des Chefs through the ready-to-cook soups initiative reflects our commitment to reducing food waste and addressing food insecurity. By engaging our hotel teams nationwide, we continue to strengthen the connection between our associates and the communities they serve." Since 2023, Marriott Hotels of Canada have partnered with La Tablée des Chefs to donate surplus food to local communities. Today, more than 75 Marriott properties across nine provinces have participated by donating over 127,000 meals to local communities in need. The expanded partnership through the ready-to-cook soups program will empower Marriott teams to give back directly to local communities through the preparation and circulation of dry soup packets to food banks and shelters in their respective regions. To date, 45,000 soup packets have been distributed through participating Marriott properties across Canada. "I'm incredibly proud to see Marriott Hotels of Canada actively engaged in the fight against food insecurity. Whether through our Food Recovery program or by producing and distributing dry soup to families in need, this institution demonstrates a solidarity and generosity that resonates across the country," said Jean-François Archambault, founder and general director of La Tablée des Chefs. "Having started my career with Marriott, I find it particularly touching to see that they support the social movement we've built. It's always stimulating and reassuring to work hand in hand, with the same values and convictions, to build a better world." La Tablée des Chefs is a Canadian nonprofit organization whose mission can be summarized in two words: feed and educate. Since its inception in 2002, La Tablée des Chefs has worked closely with community and industry partners across Canada to tackle the growing issues of food waste and food insecurity for Canadians through the redistribution of over 21 million portions of surplus food provided by hotels, event venues, and other institutions within its network. With over 25% of Canadians experiencing food insecurity, these collaborative partnerships are vital in providing support to combat this widespread issue. As of year-end 2024, Marriott reduced waste to landfill intensity globally by approximately 23% and food waste to landfill intensity by approximately 29% compared to a 2019 baseline. For further details on the partnership, and additional information on Marriott International's environmental, social and governance initiatives and developments, the full 2025 Serve360 Report can be accessed at ABOUT MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of over 9,600 properties across more than 30 leading brands in 143 countries and territories. Marriott operates, franchises, and licenses hotel, residential, timeshare, and other lodging properties all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy ®, its highly awarded travel platform. For more information, please visit our website at and for the latest company news, visit In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on X and Instagram. ABOUT LA TABLÉE DES CHEFS La Tablée des Chefs is a non-profit organization whose mission can be summed up in two words: feed and educate. Feed today, to fight food insecurity, and educate young people to develop their food autonomy. Since its beginnings in 2002, La Tablée des Chefs has made it possible to feed those dealing with food insecurity by distributing more than 21 million cooked portions and has educated more than 79,000 young people by developing their food autonomy through its various programs. SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.
Forbes
15-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How La Tablee Des Chefs Is Turning Waste Into Meals
Jean-François Archambault, Founder of La Tablée des Chefs In Canada, a paradox exists. While millions struggle to access fresh, nutritious food, perfectly good meals are discarded by restaurants, hotels, and catering companies. Food banks operate under immense strain, often lacking quality ingredients. At the same time, an invisible barrier—fear of litigation—prevents many food providers from donating surplus meals. But where others saw an intractable problem, Jean-François Archambault saw an opportunity. During his decade in hotel management, he wrestled with an uncomfortable truth: vast amounts of food were going to waste while communities went hungry. Reflecting on the values instilled in him through his family's community work, he knew he couldn't stand by idly. In 2004, he walked away from his career at the prestigious Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal and founded La Tablée des Chefs—a game-changing organization that connects the food industry to the fight against hunger. 'I was successful,' Archambault recalls, 'but it was like, at the end of the day, I was taking off that suit, putting it back in the closet, and then being Jean-François at home, and I hated that. I needed to wake up and feel I was whole.' The leap wasn't easy—but it was fueled by belief and mentorship. 'That sense of purpose came to me very strongly when I met my wife—and she gave me confidence,' he shares. 'Having her by my side and believing in me really helped. And then some key business people, one in particular who became a mentor—she was the Executive VP of HR at National Bank of Canada—really pushed me to do something.' He recalls preparing to hire La Tablée's first employee after raising $150,000, only to have a moment of clarity over breakfast with his mentor. 'I told her I stopped the hiring process,' he says. 'She asked why, and I said, 'Because I'm going to do it. Nobody else is better than me to do that.' That's where it all started.' Archambault's first challenge was to dismantle a system built on fear. Working alongside legal experts, he uncovered an overlooked solution: Good Samaritan laws. These laws protect food providers from liability when donating food in good faith. By educating businesses and industry leaders on these protections, he flipped the script, shifting mindsets from risk aversion to social impact. In provinces like Alberta, vague food safety regulations still prevent large quantities of safe, untouched food from being recovered. Archambault is working with pro bono legal partners to change that. 'We could double the amount of food that we recover if we clarify the definition of served food,' he says. Next, he forged powerful partnerships with industry heavyweights, such as Montreal's Bell Centre, home to the Canadiens hockey team. His vision: a streamlined system where surplus food is retrieved, repurposed, and distributed to those in need—at scale. 'What I really want to do is change the mindset of the industry on looking at food waste—and looking at food that can be recovered that is not recovered,' he says. 'To really engage in maximizing all the opportunities we have as an industry. I'm talking about the hospitality industry coming together to prioritize this—and getting the industry around to change.' He emphasizes that many workers in the industry already want to help—they've simply lacked a system that makes it possible. 'The industry is not aware that a lot of hotel and convention spaces employees are all for this,' Archambault says. 'But they've been stopping to think it's possible. And I'm here to make that possible.' A key milestone came when Marriott Canada stepped up. 'When we signed the agreement with Marriott Canada, the president at the time said, 'I want this in my 260 hotels,'' Archambault recalls. That really helped accelerate the change. Thanks to that kind of leadership, word spread quickly within the industry. Through these partnerships, La Tablée des Chefs has built an operational backbone that makes food recovery seamless for hospitality teams. Using a data-driven platform, the organization coordinates surplus food collection and meal distribution with precision. Restaurants, hotels, and caterers donate prepared meals, which are then labeled, packaged, and delivered to food banks and shelters based on real-time demand. The result? A sustainable, systemic solution to food insecurity—one that empowers the industry to act with both efficiency and compassion. 'We have 400 hotels or venues doing this across the country and serving 3 million meals annually,' he explains. La Tablée des Chefs—a game-changing organization that connects the food industry to the fight ... More against hunger But Archambault knew that simply providing meals wasn't enough. To truly address food insecurity, he needed to empower communities to feed themselves. Enter La Tablée des Chefs' culinary training programs. Through initiatives like Kitchen Brigades and Cook Up Your Future, the organization is teaching vulnerable youth how to prepare high-quality, low-cost meals—building self-sufficiency where it's needed most. From schools and youth centers to juvenile detention facilities, their culinary education initiatives are equipping young people with essential life skills—and a pathway to a brighter future. 'We're in more than 350 public high schools with chefs coming into schools every day,' says Archambault. 'We've educated over 75,000 youth through food education and food literacy.' In 2018, the Quebec government made a major investment in the program, allowing it to scale even further. La Tablée des Chefs now runs an e-learning platform and a culinary school, ensuring that its impact reaches far beyond the kitchen. La Tablée des Chefs' culinary training programs In its first 15 years, La Tablée des Chefs has provided over 20 million meals to food-insecure communities, partnered with more than 400 hotels and venues across Canada, and trained young people in more than 350 public high schools and foster care programs across seven provinces. But Archambault's ambition doesn't stop at Canada's borders. Today, the model is being tested in France, with plans to expand into culinary schools across Canada. By fostering a new generation of socially conscious chefs, La Tablée des Chefs is proving that food is more than just sustenance—it's a vehicle for social change. That impact was powerfully demonstrated at the President's Cup PGA tournament at the Royal Montreal Golf Club.'There were 30 small kitchens on the course feeding tens of thousands of people,' Archambault recalls. 'We partnered with Proof of the Pudding, the PGA's caterer, and recovered 22 tons of food that fed over 120,000 people in six days.' The quality of the food, he says, is often what surprises people most.'We opened one aluminum container, and it was these lamb chops—pink, perfect,' he says. 'Would you eat that tomorrow? Absolutely. That's the kind of dignity this brings.' In its first 15 years, La Tablée des Chefs has provided over 20 million meals to food-insecure ... More communities. Jean-François Archambault's work isn't just about feeding people—it's about transforming the way we think about food. It's about reimagining a food system where waste is no longer the norm, where chefs wield their expertise as a force for good, and where communities are empowered to take control of their own nutrition. 'We are the missing link into making that food accessible to the front line,' he says. 'And that's really what I want to continue to do.' This is what happens when passion meets purpose. And this is how one man—and a growing movement of compassionate chefs and business leaders—are rewriting the future of food in Canada and beyond.
