A story

of taste

It was in 1925 that Max Lester left Eastern Europe to settle in Canada bringing with him his family’s celebrated smoked meat recipe.

In 1931, he opened a restaurant on “the Main”. It was open 7 days a week and enjoyed immediate success! The appearance of Lesters high-quality products on the market was well received by consumers. Lester took advantage of his products’ growing popularity and started selling them to restaurants and grocery stores in the surrounding area. And that’s how the incredible story of the Lesters Corporation began!

2021 marked Lesters’ 90^th anniversary. 90 years of providing culinary pleasure and comfort thanks to their high-quality products! None of this would have been possible without the ongoing hard work and devotion of their employees, and the loyalty of their clientele.

This is just the beginning, however. Lesters is not finished astonishing yet. We strive every day to innovate and to surprise. One thing is certain though, Lesters will continue to be there for you, sharing in the special moments of your life and bringing you a taste of the best!

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Our team

Richard Frechette

Quebec Sales Director, Food Service

Richard Frechette

Quebec Sales Director, Food Service

514-703-2508 [email protected]

An employee at Lesters for over 30 years, Richard treats every one of his clients like royalty. No matter what your needs or obstacles may be, he always has a solution to propose. Put him to the challenge!

Richard White

Director of National Sales, Food Services

Richard White

Director of National Sales, Food Services

705-446-7939 [email protected]

Richard has been part of the Lesters family for 10 years. With a background in the area of distribution, he is in charge of national sales. As a trained Culinary Specialist, Richard understands your challenges perfectly well and is capable of helping you to overcome them.

A family history

Max Lester, surrounded by his two sons, Moe and Joe, smiling with unconcealed pride

Opening a restaurant on St. Laurent Boulevard in Montreal was already a symbol of success for an immigrant family from Eastern Europe in the 1930s. But the Lester family’s smoked meat so enchanted their clientele that it touched off a genuine craze. Max Lester rode this wave of success and expanded his business by selling his products to grocery stores and restaurants in the neighborhood. Thus, the Lesters corporation was born.

A chance encounter

Lesters is to smoke meat what Colonel Sanders is to fried chicken

Max Lester is, and will always be, the undisputed King of the Smoked Meat. But Lesters is also a family affair. Max’s sons, Moe and Joe, took over the family business with the goal of introducing their smoked meat throughout the whole of Canada. The popularity of their products was so huge that despite having built a plant in Montreal in the 60s, and another in Laval in the 70s, they had trouble keeping up with the demand. The Lester brothers were omnipresent in the food industry and sat on boards alongside the biggest names in the business.   In fact, this photo shows Joe with Colonel Harland David Sanders, better known as Colonel Sanders, at the Hostex Food and Hospitality Expo in 1975.