Last week was Ontario’s inaugural Local Food Week, celebrating all things local and edible in our province. Ontario�s 37,000 farm families are proud of the quality and variety of the food they produce — and so are we!
That’s why, with the help of some stellar Feast ON Restaurants, we hit the streets last week to share Ontario’s taste of place. The icing on the cake? We also had the chance to raise some funds for some seriously cool organizations in the process.
On June 6th, alongside Harper’s Burger Bar from Kingston, the Ontario Craft Brewers and the holy trinity of buttertarts: The Buttertart Trail, Tartistry and The Kawarthas-Northumberland Buttertart Tour, we took over Yonge & Dundas Square (okay, a part of it!) for Ontario Tourism Day.
In the shadow of the urban zipline (yes, you heard me — urban zip line) we set up our Big Green Egg and started grilling! Chef Craig served up Harper’s signature ‘Lalaland’ sliders made with Enright Cattle Co. beef, Ontario chevre and roasted Ontario peppers, while the Trinity served up tasting trays of their signature buttertarts.
The whole endeavor was a massive success and collectively, we raised $2485 for FoodShare Toronto!
Bright and early the next morning, we made our way to the Evergreen Brick Works to spread some more local food love. Three of our newest Feast ON restaurants — including The Masonry in Perth, Ciboulette et Cie in Midland and Mercer Hall in Stratford, supported Ontario growers and producers by making 100% locally sourced eats at the famous farmers market!
The chefs sourced product from market vendors and paired it with tastes of place from their regions — including famous Perth County pork belly, Lanark County maple syrup and Simcoe County vegetables. We raised over $600 in support of local food programs at Evergreen Canada.
Look out for more Feast ON experiences this summer — or plan your own!
Need a way to get there? AutoShare has your keys to delicious ready to go! Just book and go.
About Local Food Week
The Local Food Act – the first of its kind in Canada – has proclaimed that Local Food Week that will take place annually, beginning the first Monday in June. The act will help build Ontario’s economy, create more jobs and expand the agri-food sector, by making more local food available in markets, schools, cafeterias, grocery stores and restaurants throughout the province. Find out more: omafra.gov.on.ca
