ABOUT US
Lessig Ferments was founded in 2021 by Edmonton chef Roger Letourneau. Along with co-owner and Fiancé, Christine Sandford, the two have spent their careers working as chefs in Edmonton, Belgium, Denmark and France. Alongside Lessig, the two run a travelling pop-up group called "Vagabond Pop-ups".
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The Team
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Roger Letourneau - Owner and Operator
Roger started working in restaurants at the early age of fourteen. He worked at many notable restaurants, including Bar Clementine, where they were named Enroute’s fifth best new restaurant in Canada. Over the years, Roger developed a particular interest in fermentation, especially with vinegar production. Roger has travelled extensively to study vinegar and fermentation, and brings a wealth of knowledge to Lessig Ferments. The word "Lessig" stems from Rogers French & German heritage, "essig" meaning vinegar in German, and the "Le" representing his family name, Letourneau!
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Christine Sandford - Co-owner
Christine joined Lessig Ferments in 2023. Christine spent many years working in resturants in Canada and Europe. Recently, she was the Executive chef of Biera Restaurant in Edmonton for 7 years, which placed on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list serveral times. Christine has a passion for creativity, sustainability, utilizing local ingredients, and a wee obsession with cultured butter and sourdough! With a keen eye for detail and forward thinking, Christine brings a creative flair to the company.
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What We Do
In Canada, many farmers become stalled at the processing level.
At Lessig Ferments, our goal is to bridge that gap by translating the bounty of our short growing season into artisan products via fermentation and preservation. We use specific methods and choose ingredients at the peak of their season to help preserve nutrients and enhance natural flavours.
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We produce naturally fermented hot sauces, condiments and beer vinegar. While our beer vinegar is still slowly fermenting, we look forward to our first release soon!
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We also offer white labelling, product consultation, as well as recipe development for restaurants, farmers, and other businesses.
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