Above all, Marie-Pier Veilleux and Cynthia Santamaria make and sell beer. But the co-founders of Brasserie Harricana also distill inclusion, a philosophy intrinsic to their company. Indirectly, the pandemic forced them to spread both throughout Quebec.
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
With the new factory opened last fall, the beer they produced almost confidentially in their brewery-restaurant on rue Jean-Talon, in Montreal, found its way to more than 300 points of sale in Quebec. “Our company is built on very inclusive values, describes Marie-Pier Veilleux. It stems from Cynthia and me, of course. And my family, actually. »
It was from her parents that Marie-Pier Veilleux acquired the virtue, or the value if you prefer, of accepting differences. Of the acceptance of women, first.
In the early 1970s, Daniel and Jean-Paul Veilleux had opened in Amos one of the very first brasseries in Quebec, at the door of which, unlike taverns, they displayed “Welcome to women”.
It was called the Harricana Brewery. The restaurant-brasserie founded in 2014 by Cynthia Santamaria and Marie-Pier Veilleux has perpetuated the name.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, THE PRESS
Marie-Pier Veilleux, co-owner of Brasserie Harricana.
I kind of took over the base of the same company, with the same philosophy and the same values that my parents had in the original brewery.
Marie Pier Veilleux
She launches a funny expression to express this filiation: “It’s their chairs! »
Literally: she salvaged the chairs, tables and light fixtures from the former Abitibi brasserie to furnish the Montreal establishment. And metaphorically, above all. “We didn’t grow up wealthy,” she continues. These chairs were the seat of our family. My parents started like that and I was born in the original brewery, which was based on really open and great values. It was only natural to continue in the same line. »
In line with authenticity, too. The two businesswomen don’t make a banner out of it, but they don’t hide it either: “We are women entrepreneurs who come from the LGBTQ+ community”, informs Marie-Pier Veilleux.
They have known each other for over 25 years. “I’m in the restaurant business, from a family of entrepreneurs. Cynthia comes from a scientific background. She was a researcher for the General Hospital. I was able to convince her to find her entrepreneurial spirit and accompany me in the opening of the brewery. »
The skills of the researcher find expression in particular in quality control. The establishment on rue Jean-Talon has 44 lines of barrels, with three serving temperatures and five levels of carbonation. “We pushed the bill to learn how to taste beer in a different way, says Marie-Pier Veilleux. Here, we don’t have wine or other cocktails, only beer. It was important for us to treat beer in the same way as wine. »
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, THE PRESS
Brasserie Harricana is located in the Mile-Ex district of Montreal.
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, THE PRESS
The brasserie-restaurant on rue Jean-Talon, in Montreal.
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, THE PRESS
The tanks for the design of the beers of the Harricana Brewery
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Without discrimination, one might say. “Because we didn’t have any wine on site, it was really important to make beers that would be accessible to everyone, even people who don’t like beer. “Without prejudice, we would add…
When the restrictions hit their restaurant, the two entrepreneurs expanded the distribution of the beers they bottled in their establishment and distributed (very!) locally.
The space being insufficient, they formed the project of a factory, which they managed to open last fall in a room located one kilometer from their brewery. “There were many pitfalls, recognizes Marie-Pier Veilleux. Despite our CVs, despite our expertise, we must constantly justify ourselves. I don’t know if it’s the same thing on the men’s side, I only know my background. I don’t know if it was a judgment specific to my genre either, but yes, we had times when it was more difficult to be taken seriously in our environment, especially the microbrewery environment. »
The firm that suggested the interview had used the word “intimidated”. “Intimidated would perhaps be a big word, corrects Marie-Pier Veilleux, but it’s still a funny experience to have. »
She doesn’t seem easy to intimidate, indeed. “No, I don’t think so,” she said. I am confident in my values, in my abilities, in the experience I acquired before going into business. I’m also lucky to have parents, a family of entrepreneurs with me. »
His sister joined the business to support the expansion for the past year. Production has quadrupled, with the possibility of multiplying it by six. The products are distributed in 300 specialized stores, restaurants and bars. In short, it is a success. “We rely a lot on inclusion, we make beers for everyone, we welcome everyone,” she concludes. It was important to put that forward for us. It was sometimes a little misunderstood. But in the end, we reap what we sow. »