It was by chance that they met at a food fair in Toronto, the SIAL, a gathering of food lovers from all walks of life and countries around the world, that two families of food enthusiasts discovered each other when it could have been so different... indeed it is surprising that great food enthusiasts had not crossed paths before this moment.
Max and JP have always loved cheese and have always enjoyed cooking it at every possible opportunity. Grilled cheese is a delicacy that many BBQ enthusiasts still don't regularly put on the menu. Whether it's firm or in a parmesan fondue, in a brisket sandwich with fresh toasted bread, on the plancha, the Arteflamme plate or the grill of a Kettle while camping, we don't just include it in a delicious pizza cooked in the All-in-1... cheese has been at all our barbecues, since always.
SIAL is a unique gathering, a meeting between food enthusiasts. Producers, distributors, creators, unique taste seekers, foodies, chefs, grocery or restaurant chains, culinary journalists, manufacturers and agencies of all kinds. It is in this chaos filled with smells and temptations and that day, destinies crossed.
From a product tasting to great discussions about the love of good food and Quebec products, they gathered around a grill in our Boucherville classroom to discuss cheese and test each of the family's products. The Bedouin .
From one story to another, because he has so many stories to count! Jean-Pierre Salvas shared his experiences, his beginnings, the history of his flourishing family company with Max and JP.
At the age of 12, Maxime Lavoie was assembling BBQs in the family hardware store in the suburbs of Quebec City… with the entrepreneurial spirit already flowing through his veins! At the same time, in the far east of Montérégie, the first cheese sale was recorded in July 1995 at the Fromagerie Polyethnique in Saint-Robert! Founder Jean-Pierre Salvas and his daughter Camille developed the best grilling cheese in the province: the Le Bédouin range.
The Polyethnique cheese shop is as anecdotal as the birth of BBQ Québec in a hardware store, then in a garage, then in a barn, before opening the first store on Versant Nord Boulevard in Sainte-Foy in 2014. For Jean-Pierre, the founding of the cheese shop was unplanned. He was pulling cows on his land when one of his friends came to see him after a stay in Montreal. “Jean-Pierre, could you make cheese?” his friend asked him. “I met a Lebanese family in the North of Montreal. The ladies there cook this salty cheese called Halloumi, but they are unable to provide it for the entire Lebanese community on the Island.” Mr. Salvas, intrigued, accepted the challenge… but more than that, he took it up brilliantly! The Lebanese mothers approved of his product and now can’t live without it. They moved to help him achieve the highest standard of product quality and helped him improve to respect the traditional aspect of the method. The project has become a recognized family business, with a renowned, respected and authentic producer.
Halloumi was originally created to cross the deserts during the wars of the Byzantine Empire. Cheese was made to preserve milk... and it was made salty! "Nowadays, there are some who have the insolence of not bending the Halloumi during production!" exclaims Jean-Pierre in his meeting with the Lavoie brothers. In the desert, it was a reflex to bend it after preparation because it was hot. Tradition must be respected to preserve all the authenticity so dear to these values.
The name Halloumi is a registered trademark, which means that only cheeses made in Cyprus (where it originates) can benefit from this appellation. However, Halloumi Le Bédouin de Saint-Robert was created before this law and therefore has the right to keep this name. Le Bédouin is the best-kept cheese secret in the province. Made in Quebec, approved and consumed by the Lebanese community and now increasingly known and consumed by all grillers looking to grill one more food! Why? Because it is ideal for all recipes on the BBQ, without exception.
Since this meeting, BBQ Québec has fallen in love with Bedouin products. Whether it is Haloumi, spicy Halloom, Nabulsi, Akaawi or Labneh spreadable cheese, they can be found on our grills, our plates, our planchas, our smokers and soon some of our BBQ classes for the pleasure of our customers who also love to grill every possible and imaginable food.
Coated, smoked, spread, shelled, folded, spiced, in bites, Jean-Pierre's products are heartfelt discoveries for our BBQ family.