Les Marchés Tradition Hemmingford

LES MARCHÉS TRADITION HEMMINGFORD – 450 247-2712 – by Susan Fisch (April 2020)

Marché Tradition has new owners, a wonderful young couple, Vanessa Lachance and Maxime Tremblay. The food business is new for them. They have much to learn, but they are up for the challenge. They have an entrepreneurial spirit and enjoy working hard to serve the community. If you shop there during the morning hours, you will see either Maxime or Vanessa… or both, hard at work alongside their staff, with a smile.

Maxime arrived in Hemmingford in 2010 and fell in love with the orchards and the beauty of nature here. And then he fell in love with the community that is so supportive and welcoming, where two languages blend together, and people take care of each other. Vanessa arrived in 2014. She had fallen in love with Maxime, then she fell in love with the beauty and natural environment of Hemmingford. And she too fell in love with the community. They are both very happy to be here and plan to live here for a long time, especially now that they have a beautiful 13-month-old baby.

Vanessa had always dreamed of owning a food business, but another opportunity presented itself first and it gave them important retail experience. They started Signé Local in 2015 as an on-line store, bringing together Quebec designers under one umbrella. Three years ago, they opened their first store in Quartier Dix30, and later a second one in Montreal.

When they heard of Claude McSween’s plans to retire, they jumped on the opportunity. They feel it is a wonderful business, offering all the basics, with a very solid, dependable and friendly team of employees, which is very important for them. They have a lot to learn about the store, about their team and their customer base. So, during the first year they won’t be making any major changes, until they have gained some important experience. They are very committed to the environment and to buying local, which will be their focus in bringing in new products. They want to encourage local businesses, while caring for the environment.

During the Covid-19 crisis, Tradition is offering a free home delivery service to at-risk people, 70+, or those who are unable to come into the store. You can place your order at 450-247-2712. Delivery schedule is Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between 9am and 2pm. Once the crisis is over, they will reevaluate to see if this service is valuable to the community.

Also, as a reminder, there is a scrumptious catering service available for your gatherings, with new dishes and new presentations. Ask about it next time you are in the store.

We wish Vanessa and Maxime a warm welcome and long-term success.

We wish to take a moment to thank Claude McSween and Lory VanSteene for their nine years of good service to the community of Hemmingford and wish them a happy and healthy retirement. L