If you are thinking of going to Taste Local! Taste Fresh! this year, be advised – tickets usually sell out fast.
The event, being held for the second year in the village of St. Jacobs, is the annual showcase event of Foodlink Waterloo Region.
Anna Contini, project coordinator for Taste Local! Taste Fresh! said that the idea behind the event is to highlight just how great local food is — and to help local chefs and farmers make a connection that may last throughout the year.
“Farmers and chefs learn about each other,” said Contini. “A meet and greet is held a couple of weeks before the event, and ongoing relationships often come out of the event, in which chefs paired with farmers continue to source their food from the farmers.”
Its third purpose is as a fundraiser for Foodlink, which is trying to find more and more ways to be fully sustainable, without relying on government funding.
The tickets, which are selling at $65 each until the end of the month (at which point they will be sold for $75), include all the tastings, as well as a one-of-a-kind pottery dish.
Eighteen chef-farmer combinations will be at the event, representing a wide range of products — everything from beef and turkey, to corn, tomatoes and apples.
“There’s a lot available in September,” said Contini, “so chefs have a lot to choose from.
“The recipes the chefs come up with are creative and beautiful.”
Contini said that those who go to Taste Local! Taste Fresh! get more than enough to eat, and will find it challenging, if not impossible, to visit each location. Each ticket holder is issued a passport, complete with details about the chef and farmer at each pairing.
And the location, along the banks of the Conestogo River, makes for a nice, peaceful setting. The Tim Louis Trio will also be performing, adding to the gala feel of the event.
“It’s a nice, elegant setting,” said Contini.
While Foodlink Waterloo Region has been doing this event for seven years, it has started to inspire similar events in other jurisdictions, said Contini.
“We like to think they are copying us,” said Contini.
Taste Local! Taste Fresh! is set for Sunday, Sept. 19 at Riverside Meadows Park, in the village of St. Jacobs, from 2 to 5 p.m.
For information on Taste Local! Taste Fresh! visit www.foodlink.ca, or call 519-513-8998.