La Poutine Week
{{Short description|Canadian annual food festival}}
{{Infobox recurring event
|name =
|logo = La_Poutine_Week_logo.jpg
|logo_alt =
|logo_caption =
|status = Active
|genre = Food festival, food tour and competition
|date =
|begins =
|ends =
|frequency = Annually, 1–7 February
|location =
|years_active =
|first = {{start date|2013|02|01|df=y}}
|founders = {{unbulleted list|Na'eem Adam|Thierry Rassam}}
|last = 1–7 February 2025
|prev =
|next = 1–7 February 2026
|participants = 800 restaurants
|attendance = 325,000
|activity = Creating and consuming poutine
|organized = People Mover Technologies
|sponsor =
|website = {{url|www.lapoutineweek.com}}
}}
La Poutine Week is an annual food festival which celebrates poutine, a Québécois dish of french fries, cheddar cheese curds and brown gravy, which is popular throughout Canada and has spread internationally. It is the world's largest poutine festival, with over 700 restaurants serving poutines to more than 350,000 customers. The festival has been held 1–7 February,{{efn|Double-sized editions of the festival were held 1–14 February in 2022 and 2023, before returning to a one-week event.}} most recently in 2025.
Background and organization
La Poutine Week was conceived by marketing entrepreneur Na'eem Adam and lawyer Thierry Rassam. They were introduced by friends at a restaurant where they had a spirited debate about who made Montreal's best hamburger. Adam was then writing a food blog and brought the question to his readers to seek more opinions. Adam and Thierry developed upon the interest to launch the first Le Burger Week food festival in September 2012, to let the public decide. Building on the success of Le Burger Week, Adam and Thierry used the same model to launch La Poutine Week in February 2013. They founded the company People Mover Technologies to organize both festivals.{{efn|Adam and Thierry created company People Mover Technologies to organize Le Burger Week. It subsequently organized La Poutine Week and Le Pizza Week.}}
La Poutine Week is held annually, 1–7 February. The dates were chosen to help attract winter customers when restaurants entered a slow business period between New Year's and Valentine's Day. Participating restaurants create a signature poutine, priced at no more than $10.{{efn|Prices outside Canada may vary.}} Restaurants in each city or region compete for Favourite Poutine, decided by an online vote from the eating public, and the Jury Prize, Health Prize, Most Original Poutine and Most Outrageous Poutine.{{efn|Most Outrageous Poutine has occasionally been awarded by judges for a dish which pushes the boundaries of excess, such as a large hamburger which contained a poutine.}} In 2025, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) gave awards for the best vegan poutine. Judges for each city receive La Poutine Week merchandise and a cash stipend. According to Adam, the festival grew naturally, with restaurants eager to take part.
The first La Poutine Week was held in Montreal in 2013, with 30 restaurants participating. The following year, the festival expanded to Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto, with about 100 restaurants in total. In 2015, over 120 restaurants took part, with Sherbrooke, Quebec, added as a competing city and international participation in Brooklyn, New York, and Wollongong, Australia. In 2016, the international contingent expanded with additional restaurants in Australia and the United States, as well as Argentina, Brazil, England, France, and New Zealand. In 2018, the festival comprised 240 restaurants across nine Canadian cities, adding Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg. Also that year, Winnipeg overtook Montreal with in excess of 80 participating restaurants.
The decentralized nature and social media aspects of La Poutine Week (and its sister festivals) effectively protected it during the COVID-19 pandemic, in comparison to traditional food festivals which physically attract attendees together into a large crowd. In 2021, with sponsorship from Montreal-based multinational dairy Saputo Inc., entry fees were waived or greatly reduced, encouraging more restaurants to take part, while SkipTheDishes provided free delivery which was essential in areas with curfews or dine-in restrictions. Some restaurants also developed packaging that allowed customers to assemble their poutine on arrival, preserving the dynamics of the contrasting ingredients. 700 restaurants across 8 Canadian provinces participated in La Poutine Week 2021, and Montreal reclaimed top position with over 120 restaurants. Some 350,000 customers took part, making it the largest poutine festival in the world. One dollar from each poutine sold was donated to charities, such as Anorexie et Boulimie Québec (ANEB).
For its tenth year, La Poutine Week was held 1 to 14 February 2022. The double-sized edition was intended to allow the eating public the opportunity to try more poutines from the large number of participating restaurants. This continued in 2023, before returning to a one-week format in 2024. That year, participation grew to more than 800 restaurants.
Dishes
Restaurants are free to create any kind of poutine for the festival. According to Adam, the popular poutines in Montreal are those which perfect the core ingredients of french fries, cheddar cheese curds and brown gravy, while in the "poutine diaspora" it has been more about reinventing the dish. Some chefs take inspiration with a combination of carbs, cheese and sauce, while others distance themselves further with solid, semisolid and liquid elements. Many will create fusions with other cuisines, and there are often vegetarian, breakfast and dessert poutines.
IBM supercomputer Watson helped a team of chefs create five new poutines for free taste-testing during La Poutine Week 2015 in Toronto and Montreal. It analyzed the demographics and popular cuisines of the cities and drew from a database of tens of thousands of recipes to create fusion pairings for each city.
Reception
Susan Semenak of the Montreal Gazette described La Poutine Week as "Montreal's greasiest festival" and a "grease and gravy marathon". Tiffany Le of the McGill Tribune called it the best winter undertaking for foodies. Rita Demontis of the Toronto Sun called the dishes "wild and wonderful ... with every known food group playing a role."
Impact
The festival has helped restaurants to stay open and boost sales during difficult periods. The festival also raises morale and triggers rehiring to meet the increased demand. According to organizers, some restaurants have had their best week of business during the festival or ran out of food to serve. Dairies experience increased curd sales for La Poutine Week and raise curd production in anticipation of the festival.
While celebrating poutine, organizers have made an effort to communicate that it is not an everyday food.{{efn|Writing for the New York Times, dietician Elaine Magee ranked poutine as the least-healthy french fry based dish.}} In addition to the juried prize for the Healthiest Poutine, gym memberships and other health-related prizes have been given to those who register votes and funds have been donated to health-related charities.
The success of Le Burger Week and La Poutine Week led to the launch of Le Pizza Week in May 2021. Adam and Thierry had earlier held back due to the number of other pizza festivals, but during the pandemic they received a number of requests from restaurants and understood that there was demand.
Footnotes
= Notes =
{{notelist}}
= References =
{{reflist |refs=
|first=Hal
|last=Anderson
|title=Get on the gravy train; Poutine Week gets underway in Winnipeg
|date=5 February 2023
|work=Winnipeg Sun
|page=A2
|id={{ProQuest|2772902599}}
}}
{{cite news
|last=Pelley
|first=Lauren
|date=2 February 2015
|pages= E1, E8
|title= Poutine inventions offer new wheys to eat your curds
|id={{ProQuest|1650084755}}
|work= Toronto Star
|publisher=
|location=Toronto, Ontario
|url-status=
}}
{{cite news
|last=Haldane
|first=Maeve
|date=2 February 2017
|page= C3
|title= La Poutine Week plays around with a classic; From plantains to pork filet, restaurants push the boundaries
|id={{ProQuest|1864523449}}
|work= Montreal Gazette
|publisher=
|location=
}}
{{cite news
|last=Schwartz
|first=Susan
|date=1 September 2015
|page= A16
|title= Le Burger Week ready to tantalize taste buds; Dozens of restaurants offer custom-made creations for event
|id={{ProQuest|1708736549}}
|work= Montreal Gazette
|publisher=Postmedia Network Inc.
|location=Montreal, Quebec
}}
{{cite news
|last=Schwartz
|first=Susan
|date=27 January 2016
|page= C1
|title= Poutine Week is bigger than ever
|id={{ProQuest|1760707666}}
|work= Montreal Gazette
|publisher=Postmedia Network Inc.
|location=Montreal, Quebec
}}
|last=Brownstein
|first=Bill
|date=31 January 2018
|title=Load up the plate during La Poutine Week, but hold the guilt
|url=https://montrealgazette.com/life/food/load-up-the-plate-during-la-poutine-week-but-hold-the-guilt
|id={{ProQuest|1993039152}}
|work=Montreal Gazette
|publisher=Postmedia Network Inc.
|location=
|access-date=20 December 2021
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126062502/https://montrealgazette.com/life/food/load-up-the-plate-during-la-poutine-week-but-hold-the-guilt
|archive-date=26 January 2019
}}
|last=
|first=
|date= 24 January 2021
|title= La Poutine Week is back Feb. 1 ... with a twist
|url= https://www.thesuburban.com/life/food/la-poutine-week-is-back-feb-1-with-a-twist/article_a5c5a25c-5e6d-11eb-93b2-f3750c829220.html
|work= The Suburban
|publisher=
|location= Saint Laurent, Quebec
|access-date= 20 December 2021
|url-status= live
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211103065319/https://www.thesuburban.com/life/food/la-poutine-week-is-back-feb-1-with-a-twist/article_a5c5a25c-5e6d-11eb-93b2-f3750c829220.html
|archive-date= 3 November 2021
}}
|last=Henry
|first=Michele
|date=28 January 2014
|page=E1
|title=Would you like squid ink with your curds?: Montreal's La Poutine Week expands to Toronto for the first time, with surprising ingredients
|url=https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2014/01/28/torontos_first_la_poutine_week_some_squid_ink_with_that.html
|id={{ProQuest|1491994815}}
|work=Toronto Star
|publisher=Toronto Star Newspapers
|location=Toronto, Ontario
|access-date=20 December 2021
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111223325/https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2014/01/28/torontos_first_la_poutine_week_some_squid_ink_with_that.html
|archive-date=11 November 2020
}}
|last=
|first=
|date=27 April 2021
|page=
|title=A Montreal-born, Canada-wide pizza party is imminent
|url=https://montrealgazette.com/business/local-business/a-montreal-born-canada-wide-pizza-party-is-imminent
|id={{ProQuest|2519039498}}
|work=Montreal Gazette
|publisher=Postmedia Network
|location=
|access-date=20 December 2021
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428011636/https://montrealgazette.com/business/local-business/a-montreal-born-canada-wide-pizza-party-is-imminent
|archive-date=28 April 2021
}}
{{cite web
|url=https://www.lapoutineweek.com
|title=La Poutine Week 2014
|access-date=7 December 2013
|publisher=La Poutine Week
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207005852/http://www.lapoutineweek.com/
|archive-date=7 December 2013
}}
{{cite news
|author=
|date=27 January 2015
|title= Creative chefs offer their take on fries, curds and gravy during La Poutine Week
|id={{ProQuest|1649076642}}
|agency=The Canadian Press
|location=Toronto, Ontario
}}
|last=Lebar
|first=Erin
|date=3 January 2018
|title=A cheesy endeavour: La Poutine Week promotes small businesses and encourages creativity
|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/food/a-cheesy-endeavour-472001263.html
|id={{ProQuest|2545601896}}
|work=Winnipeg Free Press
|publisher=
|location=Winnipeg, Manitoba
|access-date=20 December 2021
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201000736/https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/food/a-cheesy-endeavour-472001263.html
|archive-date=1 February 2018
}}
{{cite news
|last=Reid
|first=Jenn
|date=30 January 2015
|page= L4
|title= Three things to do in Toronto this weekend
|id={{ProQuest|1649051587}}
|work= Toronto Star
|publisher=
|location=
}}
{{cite news
|author=
|date=1 February 2015
|title= Plus de 120 restaurants, dont 45 à Montreal, participent à La Poutine Week
|trans-title=More than 120 restaurants, 45 in Montreal, participate in La Poutine Week
|id={{ProQuest|1650910777}}
|agency=The Canadian Press
|location=Toronto, Ontario
|language=fr
}}
|last=Demontis
|first=Rita
|date=27 January 2021
|page=A31
|title=National Poutine Week celebrates favourite food
|url=https://torontosun.com/life/food/national-poutine-week-celebrates-favourite-food
|id={{ProQuest|2482359444}}
|newspaper=Toronto Sun
|publisher=Postmedia Network Inc.
|location=Toronto, Ontario
|access-date=20 December 2021
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411004536/https://torontosun.com/life/food/national-poutine-week-celebrates-favourite-food
|archive-date=11 April 2021
}}
|title=Kelowna's Naked Cafe awarded title of Canada's best began poutine by PETA
|date=3 February 2025
|work=Kelowna Capital News
|publisher=Black Press
|id={{ProQuest|3163194508}}
}}
{{cite news
|last=
|first=
|date=26 November 2019
|page=
|title= The Buzz
|id={{ProQuest|2546262258}}
|work= Winnipeg Free Press
|publisher=
|location=
}}
|last=Thomas
|first=Brodie
|date=21 January 2021
|page=
|title=More than 50 Calgary restaurants slinging curds and gravy for La Poutine Week
|url=https://calgaryherald.com/life/food/more-than-50-calgary-restaurants-slinging-curds-and-gravy-for-la-poutine-week
|id={{ProQuest|2479823016}}
|work=Calgary Herald
|publisher=Postmedia Network Inc
|location=Calgary, Alberta
|access-date=20 December 2021
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203035727/https://calgaryherald.com/life/food/more-than-50-calgary-restaurants-slinging-curds-and-gravy-for-la-poutine-week
|archive-date=3 February 2021
}}
{{cite news
|last=Semenak
|first=Susan
|date=28 January 2015
|page= B3
|title= Chefs prepare for poutine fest
|id={{ProQuest|1648844534}}
|work= Montreal Gazette
|publisher=
|location=Montreal, Quebec
}}
{{cite web
|url=http://international.lapoutineweek.com/
|title=International – La Poutine Week
|access-date=20 December 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122211914/http://international.lapoutineweek.com/
|archive-date=22 January 2016
|url-status=dead
|publisher=La Poutine Week
}}
|last=Hum
|first=Peter
|date=30 January 2018
|title=Which Ottawa restaurant's special poutine looks most edible to you?
|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/which-ottawa-restaurants-special-poutine-looks-most-edible-to-you
|id={{ProQuest|1992673449}}
|work=Ottawa Citizen
|publisher=Postmedia Network Inc.
|location=Ottawa, Ontario
|access-date=20 December 2021
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516155210/https://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/which-ottawa-restaurants-special-poutine-looks-most-edible-to-you
|archive-date=16 May 2021
}}
{{cite news
|last=Wasney
|first=Eva
|date=1 February 2021
|page= 3
|title= All eyes on the fries for La Poutine Week: Record 108 local chefs to put spin on Québécois classic
|id={{ProQuest|2484176188}}
|work= Winnipeg Free Press
|publisher=
|location=Winnipeg, Manitoba
}}
|last=Hum
|first=Peter
|date=26 January 2021
|page=A8
|title=During a raging pandemic, La Poutine Week will make deliveries
|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/during-a-raging-pandemic-la-poutine-week-will-make-deliveries
|id={{ProQuest|2481410715}}
|work=Ottawa Citizen
|publisher=Postmedia Network Inc.
|location=Ottawa, Ontario
|access-date=20 December 2021
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220171537/https://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/during-a-raging-pandemic-la-poutine-week-will-make-deliveries
|archive-date=20 February 2021
}}
|author=
|date= 1 February 2021
|title= La Poutine Week is on!
|url= https://cultmtl.com/2021/02/la-poutine-week-is-here-feb-1-7-120-montreal-restaurants-dirty-dogs/
|work= Cult MTL
|publisher= Cult MTL Media Inc.
|location= Montreal, Quebec
|access-date= 20 December 2021
|url-status= live
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210201171714/https://cultmtl.com/2021/02/la-poutine-week-is-here-feb-1-7-120-montreal-restaurants-dirty-dogs/
|archive-date= 1 February 2021
}}
|first=Denette
|last=Wilford
|title=Top things to do in T.O. this weekend
|date=2 February 2024
|work=Toronto Sun
|page=A2
|id={{ProQuest|2921319302}}
}}
|last= McLean
|first= Hanna
|date= 27 January 2021
|title= La Poutine Week Calgary 2021 kicks off next week
|url= https://dailyhive.com/calgary/la-poutine-week-calgary
|work= Daily Hive
|publisher= Buzz Connected Media Inc.
|location=
|access-date= 20 December 2021
|url-status= live
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210307122245/https://dailyhive.com/calgary/la-poutine-week-calgary
|archive-date= 7 March 2021
}}
|url=https://www.lapoutineweek.com/faq
|title=La Poutine Week 2022
|access-date=20 December 2021
|publisher=La Poutine Week
|archive-date=30 December 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211230014525/https://lapoutineweek.com/faq
|url-status=live
}}
|last=
|first=
|date= 30 January 2019
|title= Beyond the Plate: Bird Bar's Kimberly Lallouz always seeks a challenge
|url= https://montrealgazette.com/life/food/beyond-the-plate-bird-bars-kimberly-lallouz-always-seeks-a-challenge
|id= {{ProQuest|2173799549}}
|work= Montreal Gazette
|publisher=
|location=
|access-date= 20 December 2021
|url-status= live
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200805085927/https://montrealgazette.com/life/food/beyond-the-plate-bird-bars-kimberly-lallouz-always-seeks-a-challenge/
|archive-date= 5 August 2020
}}
|last= Le
|first= Tiffany
|date= 10 February 2015
|title= Out on the Town: Montreal poutine week
|url= https://www.mcgilltribune.com/student-life/town-montreal-poutine-week/
|work= McGill Tribune
|publisher= Société de Publication de la Tribune
|location= Montreal, Quebec
|access-date= 20 December 2021
|url-status= live
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220101212618/https://www.mcgilltribune.com/student-life/town-montreal-poutine-week/
|archive-date= 1 January 2022
}}
|last= Belfer
|first= Hana
|date= 4 February 2021
|title= 14 Decadent Poutines you NEED To Taste During Montreal's La Poutine Week 2021
|url= https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/la-poutine-week-montreal-2021-is-here-you-need-to-taste-these-14-decadent-poutines
|work= MTL Blog
|publisher= Narcity Media
|location= Montreal, Quebec
|access-date= 20 December 2021
|url-status= live
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210719205704/https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/la-poutine-week-montreal-2021-is-here-you-need-to-taste-these-14-decadent-poutines
|archive-date= 19 July 2021
}}
{{cite news
|last=Lebar
|first=Erin
|date=31 January 2019
|title= So nice, they've done it twice
|id={{ProQuest|2546214037}}
|work= Winnipeg Free Press
|publisher=
|location=
}}
|last= William-Ross
|first= Lindsay
|date= 27 January 2021
|title= Here are all the decadent poutines you can try in Metro Vancouver during La Poutine Week
|url= https://www.newwestrecord.ca/local-news/here-are-all-the-decadent-poutines-you-can-try-in-metro-vancouver-during-la-poutine-week-3298867
|work= New Westminster Record
|publisher= Glacier Media Group
|location= Burnaby, British Columbia
|access-date= 20 December 2021
|url-status= live
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210226101231/https://www.newwestrecord.ca/local-news/here-are-all-the-decadent-poutines-you-can-try-in-metro-vancouver-during-la-poutine-week-3298867
|archive-date= 26 February 2021
}}
|last= Semenak
|first= Susan
|date= 8 February 2015
|title= Backstage at La Banquise – because it's always poutine week there
|url= https://montrealgazette.com/life/food/backstage-at-la-banquise
|work= Montreal Gazette
|publisher= Postmedia Network Inc
|location= Montreal, Quebec
|access-date= 2 January 2019
|url-status= live
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201201104816/https://montrealgazette.com/life/food/backstage-at-la-banquise
|archive-date= 1 December 2020
}}
{{cite press release
|url=http://lapoutineweek.com/assets/media/pdf/LA-POUTINE-WEEK-ENG-PR.pdf
|title=Annual 'La Poutine Week' is Back to Heat Things Up!
|access-date=20 December 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607133642/http://lapoutineweek.com/assets/media/pdf/LA-POUTINE-WEEK-ENG-PR.pdf
|archive-date=7 June 2015
|url-status=dead
|publisher=La Poutine Week
}}
|last=Wasney
|first=Eva
|date=31 January 2020
|page=D3
|title=An ode to curds: La Poutine Week ooey gooey good
|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/food/an-ode-to-curds-567429282.html
|id={{ProQuest|2348599211}}
|work=Winnipeg Free Press
|publisher=
|location=
|access-date=20 December 2021
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022125024/https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/food/an-ode-to-curds-567429282.html
|archive-date=22 October 2020
}}
|last= Nisker
|first= Gabe
|date= 12 February 2019
|title= The best dishes at the seventh annual La Poutine Week
|url= https://www.mcgilltribune.com/student-life/tasting-my-way-through-the-seventh-annual-la-poutine-week-021219/
|work= McGill Tribune
|publisher= Société de Publication de la Tribune
|location= Montreal, Quebec
|access-date= 20 December 2021
|url-status= live
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210209123955/http://www.mcgilltribune.com/student-life/tasting-my-way-through-the-seventh-annual-la-poutine-week-021219/
|archive-date= 9 February 2021
}}
|last=
|first=
|date=28 April 2021
|page=
|title=La Pizza Week will have Calgarians voting for their favourite slice of pie
|url=https://calgaryherald.com/life/food/la-pizza-week-will-have-calgarians-voting-for-their-favourite-slice-of-pie
|id={{ProQuest|2519473680}}
|work=Calgary Herald
|publisher=Postmedia Network Inc.
|location=
|access-date=20 December 2021
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629141346/https://calgaryherald.com/life/food/la-pizza-week-will-have-calgarians-voting-for-their-favourite-slice-of-pie
|archive-date=29 June 2021
}}
|last=Wasney
|first=Eva
|date=28 April 2021
|page=C1
|title=When the moon hits your eye, it must be La Pizza Week
|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/when-the-moon-hits-your-eye-it-must-be-la-pizza-week-574299712.html
|id={{ProQuest|2518885742}}
|work=Winnipeg Free Press
|publisher=
|location=
|access-date=20 December 2021
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101212548/https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/when-the-moon-hits-your-eye-it-must-be-la-pizza-week-574299712.html
|archive-date=1 January 2022
}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poutine Week, La}}
Category:Week-long observances
Category:Festivals in Montreal
Category:Food and drink festivals in Canada
Category:Observances in Canada