TORONTO – Voilà by Sobeys is proud to announce an exclusive partnership with one of Canada’s most innovative restaurant brands and catering companies, Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality (O&B). This new partnership will offer Voilà by Sobeys customers in the GTA a gourmet culinary experience at home. The O&B dishes will be prepared and packaged by chefs in Farm Boy’s test kitchens.
Starting today, customers can order a curated selection of O&B’s most popular dishes alongside their grocery orders through Voilà by Sobeys, a cutting-edge online grocery home delivery service that launched in June 2020. To start, O&B’s top-selling Artisan Chicken Pot Pie, Bannock’s Tourtière, Leña’s Piri Piri Chicken and Maison Selby’s French Onion Soup will be available. Voilà by Sobeys, Farm Boy and O&B expect the partnership and meal options to continually evolve over time. The dishes are delivered pre-cooked and frozen, in ready-to-heat packaging.
“The last year has been the most challenging period the restaurant industry has ever faced and has motivated our team to innovate and pivot in ways we had never before imaged,” said Andrew Oliver, President and CEO of Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality. “We’re so excited to partner with Farm Boy and Voilà by Sobeys to get this idea off the ground, as well as get some of our people back to work. Our talented chefs have put countless hours into adapting and perfecting these recipes with the home cook in mind, and we’re thrilled to now bring a taste of the restaurant experience straight to the doors of food lovers across the GTA.”
Customers can now add these O&B meals to their weekly shop at Voila.ca, alongside fresh and grocery essentials from Sobeys and customer favourites from Farm Boy, for reliable and convenient home delivery.
“Customers and communities have sorely missed the in-dining restaurant experience through this seemingly never-ending cycle of lockdowns in the GTA,” said Jeff York, Partner and Special Advisor to Sobeys and Farm Boy. “The entire food industry must rally behind restaurants to create fertile ground for their continued innovation. Some of the most exciting food trends and innovations come from small, local producers and restaurants. Through this collaboration, we are supporting the restaurant industry to continue innovating, thriving and flourishing, even in the face of the pandemic. This is only the beginning of an incredible partnership rooted in food innovation.”
Voilà by Sobeys and Farm Boy, both part of the Empire Company family of brands, worked together with O&B to bring this new partnership to life. Farm Boy’s kitchens will be preparing the meals for sale through Voilà.ca.
ABOUT Voila by Sobeys
Voilà by Sobeys, powered by Ocado Group plc’s (“Ocado”) world-leading online grocery engine, fills orders through a state-of-the-art Customer Fulfillment Centre (“CFC”) in Vaughan, Ontario. The CFC’s robots assemble orders in an automated warehouse, resulting in minimal product handling, while Voilà teammates use enhanced COVID-19 sanitization protocols to deliver orders safely to customers’ homes. Since the launch of its home delivery service in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Voilà by Sobeys has further expanded with the launch of curbside pickup in Nova Scotia and Alberta. Customers can order online at voila.ca or by downloading the Voilà mobile app.
ABOUT Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality
Oliver & Bonacini is one of Canada’s leading hospitality groups, operating a diverse portfolio of unique and innovative restaurants and event venues. With 26 bespoke restaurants across Toronto, Montreal, Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton, Oliver & Bonacini offers a range of culinary styles—from barbecue joints and brewpubs, to modern French and artisanal Canadian fine dining. Their portfolio of restaurants includes Canoe, Auberge du Pommier, Jump, Bannock, Leña, Liberty Commons at Big Rock Brewery, Maison Selby, Bar George, Braven and Alchemy, to name a few. The company’s private dining and events division, Oliver & Bonacini Events and Catering, manages a number of large-scale event venues, including The Carlu, Malaparte at TIFF Bell Lightbox, and the Toronto Region Board of Trade, among others. The company was founded in 1993 by Peter Oliver and Michael Bonacini. Chef Bonacini currently appears as a judge on CTV’s MasterChef Canada, as well as the host of Bonacini’s Italy on Gusto. Oliver & Bonacini credits its success to the development of a strong corporate culture, where excellence of food quality and service are valued above all else.
