Montreal’s Royal Food Craze : Crown Pickle is the King of the Dill Pickle

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Espace Pop recently hosted Montreal’s newest must-eat food Crown Pickle Co. We spoke to the king of pickles, David Courteau, about his new venture into preserving the humble cucumbers. While he works as a pastry chef at Leméac by day, by night, he pickles cucumbers and several other goods. So far, Crown Pickle is a one-man operation that is steeping in success.

Crown Pickle started when Courteau gave his friends preserved food as gifts. He knew he had a hit when everyone went crazy for the pickles. From there, he set up Crown Pickle Co. and made the dill pickle its chief product. The company has started to offer a few other products including sweet pickles and tomato ketchup. While Courteau was never much of a ketchup fan, he surprised himself with his own. “It goes marvelously with grilled root vegetables,” he says.

Courteau says that the appeal of the pickle has to do with an interest in local food, as well as the fact that simple preservation techniques allow summer produce to last into the winter. He notes that pickles have a nostalgia to them that delights people.

Courteau is amused that the name makes it sound as if the company is large and has been around for a long time. The appealing design for his logo came about last summer. He wanted something simple, manly, discreet, and strong and the logo clicked. For the moment, the only way to buy his goods is to find out where he’s making an appearance. His website will eventually allow for orders.

He recommends that the best place to enjoy the pickles is to put them in the centre of a table of friends. They’ll empty soon. He advises not to throw out the liquid either. “It’s a tasty vinegar base,” he says, and recommends using it in a salad.

 

Keep an eye out for Crown Pickle’s next appearance and products at crownpickleco.tumblr.com. Orders can be placed at [email protected]. Pickles are $12 for 750 mL, Sweet pickles are $8 for 375 mL, and ketchup is $8 for 270 mL. Photographs by Magali Crevier. You can see her work at her personal site HERE or HERE at Rampage.