DRUMMONDS. “When I was little, I told myself that one day I was going to have a table with lots of people around it”.
Andréane Benoit’s wish will be granted a third time this Saturday, August 20, when the Tablée du village will be held, a unique event in the region and most likely in Quebec. No less than 420 guests are expected, half of the current population of Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults where the event will be held.
You have to hear this 36-year-old poultry producer talk about her municipality to understand how attached she is to it, just as she literally fell in love with its villagers. She has this desire at all costs to promote Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults and to celebrate the know-how of those who live there.
“I have always found Sainte-Brigitte to be a beautiful village. We have great producers and great companies. Everything is produced there: potatoes, strawberries, leeks, pork, milk, chicken, cereals and others. We have lots of great productions and we don’t talk about them enough for my taste. That’s why I had the idea of the village table. I want us to be proud of what we do, of our agriculture,” explained Ms. Benoit.
She organized this event for the first time in 2019. In one month, she managed this feat of bringing together 200 people for an evening rich in flavor. The following year, she added 150 chairs for a total of 350 guests combined. Each time, tickets sell out at lightning speed. This year, moreover, the 420 places sold out in twenty-four short hours.
“We are a small village, but there will be a large table. I want us all to be together. I always wanted this. It’s really a big village party,” said the producer, who is now working with Sarah Raymond to organize the event, which will take place in the church parking lot. “One day, I will organize this in a field!”, she added.
On the menu on Saturday evening, villagers will have the chance to taste cheese raclette (Fromagerie du Presbytère) on a slice of Cardinal potatoes, apple sausage toast, beef stew with Bockale beer and other delicacies imagined and designed by Buffet Crépeau of Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults. The event will be “zero waste”.
“Our goal is not to make money with this event. We keep a cushion from one year to the next, but the objective is really to promote local agriculture, to promote our region and to bring people together,” insisted Andréane Benoit, who specified that the Minister of Agriculture, André Lamontagne, plans to participate in the event.
Also during this evening, the artist Robert Roy will paint a canvas live. It will be sold at the end of the evening at a live auction hosted by Nicolas Duvernois.
“Just like the partners that I went to find one by one, I went to see Robert Roy in his studio to talk to him about my project. I love this artist of love since I was little. He is so talented. He lives in the neighboring village, but he is known across Canada,” observed the dynamic organizer.
The money that will be collected at the end of the sale of the work will be paid for the development of Okérico, an application in agricultural mental health which has just been launched by a young company from Brigitte. “When I started my business, I received support. There, it’s as if the whole community of Sainte-Brigitte was giving a nod to this local business to help it start up, ”communicated the producer.
If food has the power to bring people together, Saturday night’s event is sure to witness a unique spirit of togetherness.