VG Gourmet, a Montreal-based plant-based food company, has earned a high-profile fan in vegan rock star Bryan Adams. In 2022, Adams personally messaged owners Emmanuel Castiel and Chantal Bekhor on social media to express his admiration for their products and invited them backstage at his Ottawa concert. Adams has also name-dropped the husband-and-wife business owners during interviews.
From Classroom to Kitchen
Bekhor, a longtime vegan, was an elementary school teacher before transitioning to the food business in 2015. The decision came after Castiel encouraged her to sell the veggie burgers she made at home. Today, VG Gourmet operates a 15,000-square-foot facility in Montreal with a staff of 20, producing a range of plant-based foods including bean and veggie burgers, bites, kebabs, soups, crumbled proteins, and tofus.
Widespread Distribution
VG Gourmet products are available on over 1,500 restaurant menus and in major grocery stores across Canada, including Costco, Sobeys, Whole Foods, and IGA. Their latest offering is the Beet Power Burger, made with Canadian-grown black beans and beets, containing 19 grams of protein and 10 grams of fibre per serving.
Commitment to Clean Ingredients
“We’re raising the standards for what plant-based products can be,” Bekhor said in a statement. “People are choosing meat- and dairy-free options for all kinds of reasons, sometimes just to mix things up or eat a bit healthier. They shouldn’t have to sacrifice flavour or nutritional quality when they do.” Castiel, who previously worked in marketing and sales, oversees VG’s business development. “We’re proud of how far we’ve come,” he said. “It’s nice to look back now and see how much we’ve achieved.”
