Supporting, encouraging, inspiring… simple words that, together, define the work carried out by the Fondation de l’ITHQ with students at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec… When giving takes on the flavours unique to the art of hospitality.
It is natural to associate the Fondation de l’ITHQ with gastronomy. One need only think of the Les Chefs Relais & Châteaux event on May 28, which this year welcomes Patrick Henriroux, the two-Michelinstarred chef of La Pyramide, and which, at the same time, offers 250 guests the opportunity to savour our local cuisine. The same goes for the Grand Dîner de la Rentrée in September, where haute cuisine students returning from an international stay present their favourite dishes, and for the Dîner de la Bourse Françoise-Kayler, held under the auspices of the late, great food critic.
These events, along with several others, raise funds to reward scholarship recipients who will go on to further their training at prestigious institutions abroad in the fields of hospitality, food service, and tourism, as well as to provide financial support to current students and help entrepreneurs launch their businesses. “Some 47% of our profits go toward research and development, 45% toward student support, and 8% toward equipment and educational activities,” explains Nathalie Lemyre, executive director of the Foundation. “In 2025, 170 students— whether in our culinary or hospitality management classes—received scholarships,” she adds.
While she praises the sommelier and gastronomy programs that have put the ITHQ on the global map, she is keen to emphasize just how unique the institution’s role is within our communities. “People tend to forget the institutional aspect of the school— that we train chefs who work in long-term care facilities, early childhood centres, hospitals, that our unsold food is sent to La Tablée des Chefs or the Maison du Père, and that our mixed research units and our Centre of Expertise support the community in various ways, for example, by rethinking the Meals on Wheels menu.”
Attuned to a rapidly evolving social landscape, Lemyre continues to rely on events and gastronomy to achieve her goals. But she also knows how to refresh her approach. For instance, the website will be redesigned to make the act of giving simpler and faster, and soon, a standardized program will allow donors to contribute goods or money in new ways. The Foundation’s director also has plans to create a line of ithquois products in collaboration with the school’s graduates. A tasteful way to spotlight local talent while contributing to the institution’s reputation. However, it is the Educational Banquets (cocktail receptions where networking plays as big a role as culinary discoveries) that add some zest to the Foundation’s activities, and which, at the same time, delight the palate and inspire a renewed appetite for giving.
Cover photo: Interview between Chef Gabriel Kreuther of Gabriel Kreuther restaurant (United States) and host Johane Despins during the 2025 edition of the Les Chefs Relais & Châteaux dinner. (Photo Caroline Thibault)
