Vachon®. The very name ignites joy in our hearts and tummies. And who doesn’t love a delectable snack cake? Folks young and old, appetites big and small—there’s a Vachon® cake for that. Adored by all Canadians, but particularly revered in Quebec, Vachon® has been tempting taste buds for generations with its rebel yell: Eat joy!
Family comes first. After all, Vachon® is a family business that takes great pride in their family of cakes. Respect, fairness, trust, and quality have all been hallmarks of Vachon® for almost 100 years.
It’s a love story, of course! The joyous marriage of Joseph-Arcade Vachon and Rose-Anna Giroux gave rise to a bakery in 1923, when the couple moved to Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce in Quebec. Talk about a career change after 25 years of working their farm. A gutsy move that’s still paying tasty dividends for all of us to this day.
Community-minded and caring since the beginning, Vachon® offered free cakes to soldiers during the Second World War. This compassion carries on with financial contributions to a host of causes across Canada through the Good Neighbour Program, including food banks, sports programs, schools and community centres.
The first bakery opens. Little did Mr. Vachon know that he was making snack cake history!
Jos Louis® makes its debut. This enticing confection of chocolate cake, creamy filling and milk chocolate coating went from a humble treat to a cultural icon.
Business was booming in the 1940s, growing from 125 employees and 30 trucks at the start of the decade to 250 employees and 70 trucks by 1947. Matriarch Rosa-Anna finally retired and her sons took over.
What’s in a name? Well, in 1960 the name of the company was officially changed from J.A. Vachon & Fils to Vachon Inc. And wow—the bakery boasted 1,200 employees at that time.
In the 1980s, Passion Flakie® joined the luscious lineup. And May West® underwent a change in spelling, which was originally like that of the famous Hollywood starlet.
The dawn of the new millennium marked a new chapter for Vachon®. The bakery division of Saputo became the new owner until 2015, when it was finally acquired by Grupo Bimbo—its current happy home.
Jos Louis + Ice cream is the best combo I’ve ever tasted
Flakie will never break my heart ❤️
Everywhere I go, I May go West, cause it’s the best
