Present on the small screen for many years, host Julie Snyder now wants to invite herself to the table of Quebecers. In collaboration with two of her accomplices, she will launch a range of 100% vegetarian grocery products this week.
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
After Ricardo, Marilou (Three times a day), Stefano and many others, now the one we nicknamed the demon is added to the list of public figures that we find, through their products, in the supermarket aisles.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Julie Snyder’s products
Starting Thursday, her tofu spreads, pasta sauces, almond and peanut butters, oils and dressings – under the name “Julie Snyder” – will debut exclusively at Metro.
To launch this range, made up of 14 products, Julie Snyder teamed up with two of her colleagues and friends: Amélie Léger, president of Aliments Sibon Foods – daughter of Jean-Pierre Léger, former owner and president of St-Hubert rotisseries – , and Marie-Pier Gaudreault, vice-president of Productions J. To do this, the trio founded, in 2021, the company Cuisine pour lasseuses, a name inspired by web capsules produced by the host during the pandemic in order to give stuff to overwhelmed people.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Marie-Pier Gaudreault, Julie Snyder and Amélie Léger
Although she is not the first personality to want to make an incursion into the refrigerator and the pantry of Quebecers, the one who says she likes to cook, but who always executes her recipes “roughly”, does not have the impression that the grocery star market is saturated. “I am the only one of all these personalities who has been a vegetarian since 1991, she says, sitting at the kitchen table of her condo, where she welcomed The Press for the interview. I was a vegetarian before it was fashionable. At the time, there was no tofu in supermarkets. I arrive with products that represent me in real life. I’m not launching a Whippet line,” she points out, referring to the chocolate marshmallow cookie.
I love Marilou, I love Ricardo, I love Stefano. For me, they are not competitors. These are products that, for me, represent Quebec. We are complementary.
Julie Snyder
Amélie Léger, seated next to her, adds that they did not try to copy anyone.
“It’s like my TV shows, continues Julie Snyder. I never try to copy anyone. I try to do my drawing and make it as beautiful as possible. »
An idea of the Islands
The project to launch a range of products was, in a way, born in the Magdalen Islands, where Julie Snyder takes her vacations. And it is also in these moments that she takes the time to cook. She met Amélie Léger there, through her father, Jean-Pierre, a few years ago. During the discussions, Mr.me Léger, who runs the company Aliments Sibon Foods (Delights of the past), proposed to Julie Snyder to launch a range that resembles her.
“With Amélie, it was real discussions: “What do you eat in the morning? Noon ?” »
The idea of launching a range of products has been in Julie Snyder’s head for a long time. “I had been approached by Le Commensal in 1997. For all sorts of reasons, it didn’t work out. I’ve always dreamed [de commercialiser une gamme d’aliments]. Ever since I became a vegetarian, I always get asked, “How are you doing? How do you eat?” “.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Dressing by Julie Snyder
Does the main interested party like to cook? “The answer is yes and no. I like it, but I don’t always have the time. It’s not true that with the life I lead, mother of two teenagers, that I have time to cook every day. I developed tricks to be efficient in the kitchen and to make it look very refined. »
It is her way of life that inspired her in the choice of her products. These have been tested and tasted many times over the past few months by the two children and the hostess’ friends.
It’s for people who aren’t necessarily vegetarians, but who like to eat vegetarian food. The price is affordable, the products are accessible and what was very important to us, made in Quebec.
Julie Snyder
These are made by different producers. For example, the tofu comes from Unisoya in Saint-Isidore-de-Laprairie, the spreads from Fermes Marcello in Gatineau and the butters from Nature Nux in Terrebonne.
If the products are not on sale for customers before Thursday, Metro’s demand is already great, assures Amélie Léger, who has extensive experience in the food industry. “We’ve never seen that,” she said. Pre-orders are crazy. The quantities we had planned for one year for vinaigrettes and olive oil have already been sold. It’s already on pre-order. »
For the coming year, new products could be added to the range. Discussions with suppliers have already been initiated.