Savour Stratford is a delicious culinary festival featuring award-winning chefs, local producers, and lots of opportunities to eat amazing food and wine.
I spent the weekend checking out the event and had a great time.
Demonstrations & Workshops
In the afternoon, I went to a workshop featuring vegetarian cuisine with Chef Doug McNish.
He demonstrated how to make delicious organic, vegan and gluten-free tempeh croquettes in a roasted red pepper cashew aioli.
On Sunday we took in a workshop about Unique and Unexplored Ontario Wines. The workshop was taught by The Wine Sisters. We tasted wines from Lake Erie North Shore, Niagara and Prince Edward County.
The highlight of the weekend for me was the Grand Tasting. This event brings together 30 chefs that are paired with local food producers and farmers. Together, they created fantastic dishes.
The Grand Tasting was stuffed with so many amazing food and Ontario VQA wines and craft brews, I could hardly keep track of it all! I was thrilled to see favourites like Pelee Island Winery, Perth Pork and Pazzo Taverna present serving up delicious drinks and food. I also discovered some new favourites. I tasted a sweet wild nettle beer, and a dry cider that I loved. Take a look below.
Pazzo Taverna made fresh agnolotti before your eyes! Filled with sweet peas, carrots and beets, paired with Shallothill Specialty Vegg.
At the end of the event, awards were presented for best dishes. Winners included:
- GE Café People’s Choice Award – Mercer Hall (Stratford), Chef Tim Larsen and Sean Collins paired with Church Hill Farm, Owen and Eva Lass; A Taste of Church Hill Farm, A Bloody Bun
- Best Meat Dish – The Bauer Butcher (Waterloo), chef Matthew Kendrick paired with Yorkshire Valley Farms (Peterborough), Krysten Cooper; Chicken and Wild Mushroom Terrine
- Best Vegetarian Dish – Pazzo Taverna (Stratford), chef Yva Santini paired with Shallothill Specialty Vegg (Sebringville), James Harrison; Agnolotti with sweet peas, carrots and beets
- Best Dessert Dish – The Stratford Chefs School (Stratford), chef Margaux Whillans-Browne and Maple Morning (Sebringville), James Harrison; Maple Candy Floss, Maple Marshmallow, Maple Taffy, Maple Macaroon
- Best Beverage – Tea Leaves Tea Tasting Bar (Stratford), Tea Sommelier Karen Hartwick; Three Mint Enhanced Tea
- Best Beverage Containing Alcohol – Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers (Beamsville), Whitney Dillon; Strawberry Agua Fresca with Dillon’s Method 95 Vodka, strawberries, rosemary, simple syrup and lemon bitters
- Most Creative Dish – The Prune (Stratford) chef Ryan O’Donnell paired with Chris Meeuse Farm (Union), Chris Meeuse; Seabuckthorn Rocket; seabuckthorn, raspberry, crème fraiche
Check out some photos below!
Savour Stratford is an annual event in Stratford, Ontario. Be sure to visit next year! Find out more at: www.visitstratford.ca/culinaryfestival
1 Comment
SweetBFoodie24
August 27, 2015 at 7:07 PMLooks like a great event in Stratford!! I only been there once and this Savour Stratford looks like a variety of fresh and delicious foods to sample as well as drinks. Looks like a perfect summer event. Really like your blog of combing food and travel together!