We had the chance to chat with Gabriel Monzerol, Chef, Co-owner, President and Treasurer of La Cale - Pub Zéro déchet, our ecological partner offering packages available in our Gourmet Brunch and Gastronomy gift box.
What's your story as a chef? What's your professional background?
Initially, I had 10 years' experience in the restaurant business as a waiter. It was thanks to Justin Gallant that I was able to broaden my skills and specialize in zero-waste cooking. Initially my role was dedicated to being a waiter in the company, we needed kitchen staff and Justin took the initiative to train me. I'm grateful to him for everything I know today, as he was my mentor. Right now, Justin is concentrating on other projects closer to home. It's now up to me to take charge of the kitchen and make sure it's zero-waste.
Can you tell us about La Cale - Pub Zéro Déchet?
La Cale - Pub Zéro Déchet opened its doors in 2019. We are a family business, formed by friends and family members. Our team comes from the restaurant business and we wanted to create our own restaurant in line with our values. When discussing the identity of our establishment, we wanted to offer something different to our customers, so we decided to combine our environmental convictions with the restaurant's mission. Thus was born the idea of becoming a Zero Waste restaurant, reducing our environmental footprint as much as possible.
Tell us about the Zero Waste principle as it relates to catering?
The Zero Waste principle is based on the 5Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Give back to the earth, and Make. This concept challenges our consumption habits and encourages us to rethink the life cycle of the products we use. The 5Rs offer solutions for reducing waste at source and reducing our ecological footprint.
In catering, it's essential to establish clear procedures from the outset. We select our suppliers carefully to avoid excessive packaging, favoring bulk products. We produce as much as possible on site, such as bread, tortillas, croutons, breadcrumbs, juices, syrups, and so on. We favor local suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make our products carbon neutral. We also avoid unnecessary packaging. The Zero Waste principle also applies in the dining room, where we use hand-woven napkins and avoid parchment paper in the French fry baskets, among other things. What's more, even our furniture is made from recycled materials, and we prefer to wash fabrics rather than throw away paper.
In general, restaurants deal with a wholesaler who centralizes suppliers, which saves a lot of time. What sets us apart is that we prefer to work directly with our suppliers, such as market gardeners and dairy producers, to ensure that they share our values. We're particularly delighted with our new collaboration with Laiterie Charbonneau. Since we opened, we've been looking for a supplier of zero-waste dairy products. Laiterie Charbonneau supplies our cheese curds for our famous poutine directly into our own containers. They collect these containers once we've finished.
What are the challenges of this principle?
The obstacles we encounter are mainly linked to health regulations. To limit our environmental footprint, we don't offer many meat dishes, because there's far too much over-packaging associated with this product.
What characterizes your restaurant? What makes it unique?
What characterizes our restaurant is first and foremost our commitment to Zero Waste, which makes it quite unique. On top of that, we're renowned for our entertainment program with shows several times a week: musical evenings, cultural evenings, improvisation league, karaoke, etc. There's something for everyone. Something for everyone! Our pub is a place where you can come for a coffee, a quiet afternoon study, dinner with the family or a pleasant evening with friends.
What's more, our location in the heart of the new Plaza St-Hubert adds to our distinctive character. Since its reopening, many interesting businesses have opened their doors, creating a great community. This summer, the street will become pedestrianized for much of the season, adding a festive, summery atmosphere. It's perfect for enjoying our terrace and living a unique experience.
What's your most popular meal offering?
Our signature dish is undeniably poutine, especially our Pout Banh Mi.
What is your personal favorite meal?
It's the “Ham-tu le kale? a kale salad with grapefruit, cherry tomatoes and spiced rum-roasted ham.
Why do your customers keep coming back?
Our clientele is very varied. We have our regulars, those who enjoy our shows, those who simply stroll through Plaza Saint-Hubert, and also those who come for eco-tourism.
What is it about your company that makes it so well known?
We've benefited from a few media appearances, including on “L'épicerie” and “Savourer avec Geneviève O'gleeman”. Our reputation has been built largely by word-of-mouth and the frequentation of the Plaza.