For Breakfast Club of Canada, making sure 580,000 children get a healthy start to their day through school nutrition programs across the country is a top priority. BCC is fortunate to work with some very generous and engaged partners at the local level to make this happen. Délicouki is one of these partners.

They are the makers of snack foods inspired by traditional Quebec recipes. They pride themselves on combining great taste and great nutrition, with an irresistible variety of foods that tickle youngsters’ taste buds. Délicouki joined forces with BCC in 2017. They have learned the ins and outs of school nutrition in the years since, working with nutritionists to adjust their recipes in accordance with the Club’s guidelines. Today, they provide wholesome snack foods to 542 schools across Quebec, putting smiles on the faces of more than 79,000 children.

An indomitable spirit of innovation 

Adapting Délicouki’s products was no easy task. Preserving the texture was the key to making sure each snack remained fresh and good to eat for as long as possible.  

Innovation has always been one of the company’s core values, so they embraced the challenge of reformulating their products to help broaden children’s palates, using a wide range of healthy ingredients selected to appeal to appetites of all ages. It was also important to bear in mind children’s specific nutritional needs in the morning, which aren’t the same as, say, an adult getting ready for a hike. “Every province and every customer has their own set of requirements. We work hand in hand with each of them to come up with solutions that meet their nutritional specifications without compromising on taste and texture,” said Isabelle St-Amand, Chief Operating Officer. 

They were originally approached by the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal to make a date-based breakfast cookie. It wasn’t long until several other school service centres showed interest in Délicouki’s products as well. The company’s offering has since grown and diversified, with several new foods, flavours and formats. They became so busy, in fact, that they had to move into a bigger space to keep up with the growing demand for healthy, delicious snack items.  

“At Délicouki, we believe that the next generation is our hope for a fairer and more equitable future. Feeding children now means helping them to achieve their full potential. We share this vision with the Club. Nobody can learn on an empty stomach,” said Isabelle, before going on to describe the many advantages of serving a nutritionally balanced breakfast at school. “We know that there are lots of children in Quebec and across Canada who don’t get enough to eat in the morning. And the problem isn’t limited to inner cities or underprivileged families. The positive impacts of breakfast go beyond the students themselves to benefit entire school communities and society as a whole.” Délicouki firmly believes that food brings people together and breaks down barriers, and that snack time is when connections are made, friendships are formed, an intergenerational dialogue emerges and schoolyard conversations begin.  

Breakfast Club of Canada could not agree more. Claudine Dessureault, BCC’s National Senior Advisor, Purchasing and Inventory, said, “Ultimately, the reason we work with Délicouki is because it makes kids happy. Students love the yummy food they make, and we love their willingness to collaborate with us to develop special products for our organization. They’re also extremely reliable: they always deliver the quantities we need, when we need them. Clearly, this collaboration between Délicouki and Breakfast Club of Canada is a winning recipe.” 

And psst! We’ve got a bit of a scoop for you! Délicouki is currently developing on a brand-new flavour for the Club. Be sure to watch our updates to find out what it is!  

 

This year, Breakfast Club of Canada and Staples Canada/Bureau en Gros are celebrating a very special anniversary: 15 years of working tirelessly and passionately for children.

 

On October 13, a cheque and some certificates of appreciation were offered at the Bureau en gros store in St-Bruno for the donation of the last Back To School campaign and to recognize the 15 years of partnership with the Club.

 

This support is absolutely essential, knowing that there are still hundreds of schools on BCC’s waiting list — a list that shows no signs of getting shorter any time soon.

 

During every back-to-school campaign, the associates at Staples Canada/Bureau en Gros have shown extraordinary motivation and determination to help raise funds for BCC. “At Staples, we believe that the back-to-school season should be a time of excitement and wonder. However, we know that this is not the case for all parents, teachers, and students as they struggle to provide children with the resources to help support a successful school year,” said Wanda Walkden, Chief Human Resources and Communications Officer, Staples Canada. “As Canada’s Back to School Destination, the School Supply Drive, which just wrapped up another successful fundraising campaign, allowed our stores to team up with charitable partners, like Breakfast Club of Canada, helping make a sizable, tangible impact in the Quebec and Atlantic Canada markets supporting communities where we live and work, empowering learning and growth for the year ahead.”

 

To shine the spotlight on this amazing spirit of commitment, we talked to Martin Dubeau, an associate and an enthusiastic supporter of the work BCC does.

 

Tell us a little more about yourself and your career path.

I’ve actually been working at Bureau en Gros for 23 years. I started out part-time when I was a student at Université de Montréal. I really liked the retail world, the people I was working with and the customers I was serving, so I decided to make this my career. I still enjoy everything about it, and I feel very lucky to work for such a wonderful organization.

 

Can you describe how you’ve contributed to this year’s back-to-school campaign?

In August, I reached out to the Frontalière running club and my fellow staff members, challenging them to walk or run in support of Breakfast Club of Canada. I myself pledged to go up and down Mount Pinacle 12 times in as many hours, and I invited other people to do the same, only at their own pace. It was all in the name of fun and charity!

 

Where did the idea come from? How did your co-workers react?

People like a challenge. The idea of walking or running to help Breakfast Club of Canada is a winning one right off the bat. I’m already an ultramarathoner, so I thought maybe getting other people to join me in my crazy antics would be a good way to drum up as much support as possible for a great cause. My team is truly amazing, and they jumped in with both feet. My son was even there for the entire event to greet participants.

 

What does this challenge mean to you on a personal level?

It was a great way for me to prepare for the UTMB 100 km mountain race, a unique trail-running event that goes through three countries (Italy, Switzerland and France). Incidentally, I ended up crossing the UTMB finish line in 26 hours and 4 minutes!

 

What does Breakfast Club of Canada’s mission mean to you?

It’s something I care a lot about for two reasons:

1. It’s completely unfathomable to me that, in this day and age, there are still children who don’t have the basics — a wholesome breakfast — to start their morning. We’re always talking about investing in our future, for our children. So it’s an ABSOLUTE MUST they all have what it takes to get their day off on the right foot.
2. As someone who runs ultramarathons, I know how important a nutritious breakfast is. I haven’t always been so disciplined, and I didn’t used to think breakfast was such a big deal. But I’ve had to make some choices for my health, and that’s when it really hit me how much of a difference a good breakfast can make and the impact it can have on your physical and mental well-being.

 

What other initiatives did your team get involved in during the Back-to-School campaign?

We had “bake sale Thursdays,” where someone would bring in a dessert and sell it to the other associates (like $2 for a homemade muffin). It was a delicious way to raise funds!

 

Our gratitude goes out to Martin Dubeau, Bureau en Gros/Staples Canada and all the participating associates for their hard work in support of Breakfast Club of Canada for the past 15 years.

Read more about our partners here!