"The go-to place for cheese" - Mia Stainsby, Vancouver Sun
“The
city’s busiest cheese shop”
"Vancouver's Best Food Store" - Urban Diner Awards 2008
About Us
The
mother and daughter team of Alice & Allison Spurrell stock the
larders of the city's finest restaurants and your fridge alike.
They fill their shelves with hundreds of cheeses including local,
unpasteurized French, Italian, Swiss and other specialties from
around the world. The store regularly stocks between 400-500
cheeses for sale to both trade and consumers. Not only have
the readers of The Georgia
Straight voted les amis Vancouver's Best Cheese
Shop, les amis du FROMAGE has also been a recipient of
Vancouver Magazine's
restaurant award for Top Food Supplier to
Vancouver's finest restaurants.
Alice Spurrell
Alice
is a Grande Diploma graduate of the
Cordon Bleu in London and
has also received a diploma in pastry from the Cordon Bleu in Paris.
An avid promoter of all things food and wine, she has been the past
president of the Vancouver chapter of the International Wine
and Food Society, and a jury member for the
Vancouver Arts Awards (culinary). Alice is a member
of France's Confrerie les Chevalier du Taste Fromage de
France. She has traveled extensively throughout
France, Italy, Spain and other parts of Europe.
Allison Spurrell
Allison
has cooked in commercial kitchens since the age of 13, and founded
the successful catering company The Menu Setters
with her mother Alice. Allison has been a judge for the
Canadian Cheese Grand Prix, and she has recently received a
certificate in Cheese Making Technology from the
Department of Food Science at the University of Guelph. She is
currently a board member for the Vancouver chapter of
Les Dames d'Escoffier.
Allison is a member of France's Confrerie les Chevalier du
Taste Fromage de France. She has traveled extensively
throughout France, Italy and other parts of Europe.
Joe Chaput
Joe
has cooked in Vancouver restaurants and hotels for over 20 years.
He has a Red Seal
trade certificate in cooking and has completed the
ISG Wine Fundamentals level II with
Mark Davidson. He has travelled throughout France and Germany.
Robert Young
Rob
decided on a career changed in 1986 and joined the food industry with
stints at Earls, Etoile, West Coast Fishing Club and Sage Bistro.
After 17 years behind the stoves Rob said goodbye to the kitchen, and has worked at les amis since 2003. He enjoys wood carving in
his spare time.
Janine Duns
Janine
has worked with Alice and Allison since the beginning, when it all
started out as our catering company "The Menu Setters" at 10th & Alma in
Point Grey. When not smelling like cheese, she is busy working on
her contemporary art.