Three returning chefs from the 2018 championships aim to cook their way to the gold medal at the 2019 Canadian Culinary Championships that will return to Kelowna on Feb. 1 and Feb. 2.
The competition will be split into three different events with a mystery wine pairing, a black box competition, and the finale. The Delta Grand Okanagan will be the host for the annual event, where 11 Canadian chefs will be featured. The championships is presented by Canada’s Great Kitchen Party.
Chef Jesse Friesen, from The Merchant Kitchen in Winnipeg, is excited to return to the competition.
“Not only will I have a chance to demonstrate the enhancement of my skill set over the past few years, I will also get another chance to network with top chefs from across the country, sample their food and their Canadian wine pairings,” said Friesen.
“It will be a great learning experience for my team and I to be able to have our food critiqued by a panel of judges of this caliber. When I competed for the first time in Kelowna in 2017, I was proud of our team’s performance but I definitely know where I made mistakes. I now have a better idea of where to put extra attention.”
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There will be some special guests at the championships including Olympic free-style skiing gold medalist Jennifer Heil, and musical entertainment from Canadian iconic rock band, Chilliwack. Along with Friesen, two returning chefs will look to come out on top of the 11 competitors. Takashi Ito from AURA waterfront restaurant and patio in Victoria, will be representing British Columbia.
“These chefs will be here to showcase their talent. (Guests can) enjoy some of the tastiest dishes prepared by some of the best Chefs from across our country,” said Lisa Pasin, Co-Founder of the Canadian Culinary Championships. “It’s great to see so many chefs with the desire to return, we see them come with new strategies based on their learnings from previous competitions. It will make for a very competitive event and really exciting to watch.”
The championships supports beneficiaries that have been chosen to receive funding support from the championships. B2ten, MusiCounts, and Community Food Centres Canada are this year’s three beneficiaries.
Information and tickets can be found at www.greatkitchenparty.com
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