Behind the Scenes at the Canadian Culinary Championships
It was a great start to this year’s Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna – an event that took on a life of its own as the weekend progressed, and gave audiences, chefs, and judges a positive charge.
Chef Marc Lepine of Ottawa wins the ultimate prize at the 2012 Canadian Culinary Championships.
As you might know, the Canadian Culinary Championships is the final competition of Gold Medal Plates. The format of the competition is that 8 chefs from around Canada who have won previous regional Gold Medal Plates competitions gather in Kelowna to duke it out over 3 competitions in 2 days, ultimately to win the championship as Best Chef in Canada. It is intense for the chefs, no doubt. But there’s another perspective to the competition, and that is the experience of the judges. Here’s a behind the scenes perspective on their experience in Kelowna.
Judges at the welcome dinner during a judges retreat in Kelowna.
The judges for this competition also come from across Canada. They are food media: restaurant critics, food lifestyle writers for major Canadian newspapers, magazines, and leading online sites about food. These guys know their truffles and pancetta. They’ve dined at all the top restaurants in Canada and they can spot cooking talent like no one else. I was very proud this year to have the chance to meet them all and give them a glimpse of some of the classic “foodie” products and experiences in Kelowna in order to give them a deeper connection with our destination. From a tourism perspective, it was the opportunity to connect them with some wonderful businesses in our city so that they are able to write about Kelowna and our businesses in their outlets in a more informed way than if they’d just flown in and out of town.
The table was set and ready at Bottega Farm Inn in Kelowna.
For some judges, this meant a pit-stop at Ancient Hill Winery for a tasting and light lunch after they arrived at the airport. Our Ottawa judge noted enthusiastically that she was blown away by the fact that 3 minutes upon leaving the airport she found herself at a winery, glass of wine in hand. If you haven’t been to Ancient Hill Winery yet, check it out! It is a gorgeous spot overlooking the airport in Ellison – a sure way to impress your guests when you pick them up at the airport.
The wineshop at Ancient Hill Winery in Kelowna.
Later that evening, we treated the judges to a dinner worthy of a culinary award by Chef Mark Filatow from Waterfront Restaurant. The dinner and judges’ accommodation was at Bottega Farm Inn, a magnificent contemporary property in South East Kelowna that is ideally suited to weddings, family reunions, or business retreats in that it is private and peaceful and offers 10 rooms for overnight guests. Alpacas greeted us as we drove in (it’s a 13-acre farm). Since there were 10 out-of-town judges, it was the perfect spot. Also in attendance at dinner were representatives from CedarCreek Estate Winery and Tantalus Vineyards, Sunshine Farm, the Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm, and Arlo’s Honey Farm – all neighbours of Bottega Farm Inn. Each business got to showcase their products and mingle with the judges, and Chef Mark Filatow featured these and other farm products on his menu.
Judges taking photos with Chef Mark Filatow after welcome dinner at Bottega in Kelowna.
It was a spectacular welcome event, and it is always a thrill to see blog posts and stories in our guests’ outlets. Businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the value of social media to create buzz and interest, and there certainly was a great deal of tweeting taking place that evening and in the days to follow, which we are continuing to monitor, of course.
As residents in Kelowna, we don’t often pause to celebrate the beauty of this area and how our guests perceive it for the first time. When I host travel media, I get to see the area through their eyes and it serves as an important reminder that we are incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by top quality wineries, a wealth of interesting farms, accommodations to suit any budget or taste, and some show-stoppingly talented chefs and restauranteurs.