Ferme Piscicole des Bobines

What Ferme Piscicole des Bobines does

Ferme Piscicole des Bobines is a family-owned rainbow trout aquaculture and processing operation headquartered in East Hereford, Quebec. Founded by Normand Roy and Doris Brodeur (with operations dating back to 1975 and the formal company established in 1980), the business operates the largest rainbow trout production site in Quebec, comprising 94 rearing ponds fed by an indoor Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) with over 90% water recirculation, drum filtration, and climate-controlled facilities. The company's son, Clément Roy, joined as co-owner in 2005, formalizing second-generation succession. The workforce is small — six employees plus three owner-operators — with a dedicated Quality Manager (Véronique Fontaine) supporting certified production.

The product portfolio is produced and processed entirely on-site at a HACCP-certified facility, and includes fresh and frozen rainbow trout fillets, cold- and hot-smoked trout, trout pastries, trout pie, and smoked trout spread — all manufactured without preservatives. Production technology combines indoor RAS with automated oxygen regulation, filtration, and fish transfer/counting systems, enabling high labor efficiency per unit of output. The company holds multiple certifications relevant to retail and foodservice procurement: HACCP, Ocean Wise, SeaChoice, Aliments Québec, and Créateurs de saveurs.

The business model is vertically integrated across three commercial channels: (1) direct-to-consumer via the on-site East Hereford storefront (currently disrupted by a 2022 fire) and online ordering through the Marché Maturin marketplace, with Quebec-wide home delivery; (2) retail distribution through a network of 500+ points of sale across Quebec and Ontario, plus integration with Cook It meal kits and a regional solidarity market; and (3) foodservice supply to restaurants and country inns (tables champêtres). Customers are heterogeneous — individual consumers, regional grocery retailers, and small independent foodservice operators — with no single account appearing to dominate. A 2019 capacity-doubling expansion and multi-year automation investments (2013–2016) signal a strategy of scaling unit volume while maintaining quality and certification credentials.

Name

Ferme Piscicole des Bobines

Legal name

Ferme Piscicole des Bobines inc.

Website

https://lesbobines.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ferme Piscicole des Bobines is a family-owned Quebec aquaculture company that raises, processes, and distributes rainbow trout products through its HACCP-certified on-site plant, serving consumers, retailers, and foodservice operators across Quebec and Ontario.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquaculture / Rainbow Trout Farming

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Surimi & Minced Fish Products (Imitation Crab, Fish Paste) (AFANADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shellfish Value-Added Products (Shucked Oysters, Mussels, Clams; Cooked/Marinated) (AFANALAK), Pastry, Cakes & Tortes Manufacturing (AFAKAAAB)

Keywords

• Rainbow trout farming
• Aquaculture production
• Fresh seafood processing
• Smoked trout products
• Sustainable fish farming

Headquarters

HQ city

East Hereford

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Trout Products Sales: The company generates revenue from selling fresh and frozen rainbow trout fillets, smoked trout products, trout spreads, and prepared trout dishes (pastries, pies). Products are sold directly to consumers and through retail distribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ferme Piscicole des Bobines (Les Bobines) is a family-owned rainbow trout farm and on-site HACCP-certified processing facility operating the largest trout production site in Quebec. It raises rainbow trout in indoor, closed-pond recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) with over 90% water recirculation, processes them on-site into fresh and frozen fillets, cold- and hot-smoked trout, smoked trout spread, trout pâté, and trout puff pastries, and distributes the products through its own storefront, online via Marché Maturin, 500+ retail points of sale across Quebec and Ontario, and direct supply to restaurants and country inns.

Product overview

Ferme Piscicole des Bobines is a family-owned rainbow trout farm and processing company founded in 1980, operating the largest trout production site in Quebec. The company offers a portfolio of fresh, frozen, and processed trout products all processed on-site at their HACCP-certified facility. Core products include fresh/frozen rainbow trout fillets, smoked trout (cold and hot smoked), trout pastries in multiple varieties (Provençale, Florentine, Milanaise), trout pie, and smoked trout spread. All trout is raised in high-quality spring water without hormones or antibiotics, fed certified low-phosphorus fish feed, and products are distributed through over 500 retail locations across Quebec and Ontario, plus online ordering via Marché Maturin for Quebec-wide delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh and Frozen Rainbow Trout Fillets Fresh and frozen rainbow trout fillets processed on-site in a HACCP-certified facility from sustainably raised trout reared in spring water without hormones or antibiotics. Frozen fillets are available in 10 lb boxes; fresh fillets are available at over 500 retail points of sale in Quebec and Ontario and through online delivery via Marché Maturin.
• Cold-Smoked Trout Fillets Cold-smoked rainbow trout fillets available in 70g and 200g formats, prepared without preservatives, intended for retail consumers and foodservice.
• Hot-Smoked Trout Fillets High-temperature smoked rainbow trout fillets produced on-site in the HACCP-certified processing plant, sold without added preservatives.
• Smoked Trout Spread Smoked rainbow trout spread in a 125g format, intended for hors d'oeuvres, canapés, and vegetable dips, with no preservatives added.
• Trout Pâté (Pâté à la truite) Rainbow trout pie with white flour crust offered in a 650g format, sold as a ready-to-heat prepared dish for retail consumers.
• Trout Puff Pastries (Feuilletés à la truite) Ready-to-eat puff pastries filled with trout in three recipes: Provençale (trout, tomatoes, basil), Florentine (trout and spinach), and Milanaise (trout, mozzarella, mushrooms). Packaged in a 220g format containing two pastries each.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% water recirculation in production system
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ocean WisecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOcean Wise is a conservation program that informs consumers and businesses about sustainable fisheries and aquaculture practices. The presence of the Ocean Wise logo on Les Bobines products identifies them as eco-responsible choices that preserve ocean health.
• SeaChoice / Sustainable Seafood CanadacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSeaChoice guides Canadian consumers to choose the most sustainable fish and seafood products. Supported by five conservation organizations including the David Suzuki Foundation and Sierra Club BC. Les Bobines has received the 'Best Choice' recommendation.
• Canadian Fish Feed Manufacturer (ISO 9000, BAP, HACCP Certified)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2005, the company has exclusively used low-phosphorus fish feed manufactured by a Canadian company certified ISO 9000, Best Aquaculture Practices and HACCP. The feed was developed in collaboration with feed companies and researchers to meet environmental standards.
• Marché MaturincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarché Maturin is an online marketplace that enables Les Bobines to deliver their trout products throughout Quebec. This partnership has expanded their distribution reach beyond physical retail locations.
• Verger Gros PierreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoutique du Terroir at Verger Gros Pierre in Compton now offers 10 lb boxes of frozen trout fillets following the temporary closure of the Les Bobines store due to fire.
• Marché de solidarité régionale de l'EstrieminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional solidarity market in Estrie that carries Les Bobines trout products, supporting local and sustainable food distribution.
• Cook ItminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecipe platform partnership featuring Les Bobines trout recipes including Truite et rösti, Truite à la lime, and Truite croustillante.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Mowi: World's largest Atlantic salmon farmer with global operations and significant Canadian presence. Comparable as a vertically integrated salmonid aquaculture operator with branded value-added seafood products, but operates at massive scale.
• Cermaq: Global salmon farming company with operations in Canada, Chile, and Norway. Comparable as a vertically integrated salmonid aquaculture incumbent with sustainability certification programs.
• Highliner Foods: Canadian seafood processor and marketer of frozen and value-added seafood products across North America. Comparable as a Canadian value-added seafood brand owner distributing through retail and foodservice, though not an aquaculture operator.
• Clearwater Seafoods: Canadian seafood company specializing in shellfish, scallops, lobster, and groundfish with global distribution. Comparable as a Canadian branded seafood company with premium retail positioning, though focused on wild-caught shellfish rather than aquaculture.
• Cooke Aquaculture: One of Canada's largest aquaculture and seafood companies, farming salmon and other species and operating processing facilities. Comparable as a Canadian aquaculture incumbent with vertically integrated farming and processing, but operates at much greater scale and primarily in salmon.

Emerging players

• AquaBounty Technologies: Small US-listed aquaculture company using land-based RAS technology to farm salmon. Comparable as an early-stage land-based aquaculture operator focused on sustainability, but operates at much smaller commercial scale and different species.

Direct peers

• Smoky Trout: Western Canadian trout operation focused on smoked and fresh trout products. Comparable in species focus and value-added processing approach, though operating in a different regional market.
• Spring Valley Trout Farm: Ontario-based trout farm producing rainbow trout for retail and pond stocking. Comparable as a small Canadian indoor aquaculture operator serving regional retail and foodservice channels.
• Truites de Charlevoix: Quebec-based rainbow trout farm selling fresh fillets, smoked trout, and value-added products to retail and foodservice customers. Closest direct analogue to Les Bobines in scale, product mix, and Quebec regional positioning.
• Blue Ridge Trout Hatchery: Ontario-based trout hatchery and farm. Comparable as a small Canadian freshwater salmonid producer serving regional retail and foodservice customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ferme-piscicole-des-bobines

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ferme Piscicole des Bobines