Since October 16, a small and unconventional truck has been criss-crossing the roads of the Brome-Missisquoi region. It is Charlotte’s Market, the first home grocery store in Quebec.
Some people remember with nostalgia the milkman who came to their door to drop off full glass bottles and dispose of the empty ones. Or the ice cream vendor and the sharpener, recognizable by the tinkle that preceded them in the streets. Today, these small trucks have almost disappeared, and have given way to the large-scale distribution. But with the pandemic and the growing appeal of home grocery delivery, there is most likely a market to be had. At least that’s what the two founders of Charlotte’s Market, Quebec’s first mobile grocery store, thought when they embarked on this adventure.
However, Clément Roques and Karène Martel-Dumas are not new to gourmet trucks. Between 2013 and 2017, they launched the Chai, the first wine truck on the roads of Quebec to discover the wines of the Eastern Townships. They also run a canteen on Douglass Square in Brome Lake.
« The particularity of our mobile grocery store lies in the fact that it goes to the customers’ homes, directly into their yards! No need to go shopping outside, the grocery store comes to your home! », explain the entrepreneurs.
This gourmet truck features several categories of products, most of which come from the Missisquoi region, and all of which are from Quebec. « Each week, we offer basic grocery essentials such as milk, butter and yogurt, flour, cheeses from eight Quebec cheese dairies, deli meats and meats, fresh eggs, vegetables, pasta, bread and a selection of gourmet products. » The mobile grocery store also has a homemade ready-to-eat offering that changes weekly.
The truck’s route, which operates on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, passes through several communities: Cowansville, Bromont, Knowlton, Sutton and Dunham/Frelighsburg. To take advantage of Charlotte’s Market’s services, simply go to the company’s Facebook page to reserve your spot by providing your address, and choosing the date and time.
It must be said that it is useless, except in exceptional cases, to pre-order items to take advantage of the truck’s arrival in your yard. And that there is no charge for the trip, whether or not the visit is synonymous with a purchase. As the owners of Charlotte’s Market state, « we simply cultivate the pleasure of meeting people and discovering local products by putting forward the businesses of the region, as well as all those artisans who are involved in an ideal of food autonomy.
https://www.facebook.com/marcheCharlottemarket/
SOURCE: https://www.detaillantalimentaire.com/Marche-de-Charlotte-l-epicerie-sur-la-route?fbclid=IwAR1lzmnncrZa8pmPx4MB3Bg49IPUbLWfKifc83Wn2G8J1CZjbdfLP2xR7hQ