CANADIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

BC wants to be culinary capital of Canada

Wednesday, 25 April 2007

BC wants to be culinary capital of Canada

Bruce Constantineau, CanWest News Service Article tools Printer friendly E-mail Font: * * * * The B.C. restaurant industry has launched a campaign designed to make the province the culinary tourism capital of Canada. After years of discussion, qualifying restaurants, retail shops and other food and beverage businesses will soon display a spoon-shaped logo identifying themselves as establishments that provide a uniquely B.C. experience. Gallery: Food in B.C. More on Food and Wine "Dining has been the Rodney Dangerfield of the tourism industry -- no respect," said B.C. Culinary Tourism Society chairman Don Monsour. "People don't think that food is a big driver of business but we know it is and other countries know it is, so this is long overdue." A new Web site, www.bcculinarytourism.com, will explain the concept and list the unique businesses to prospective customers. The initiative comes as Tourism BC prepares to launch a $450,000 marketing campaign to promote B.C. wine and food to a global audience. Gallery: B.C. Secrets Gallery: Beautiful British Columbia B.C. Restaurant Reviews Tourism BC president Rod Harris said people engage in four basic activities when travelling -- they eat, drink, sleep and explore. "We have concentrated on other areas but more and more, the dining experiences take on greater importance," Harris said. "That's particularly true when people can enjoy fresh and unique foods and beverages." A nine-person selection committee will go through nominated restaurants and other businesses over the next two months to produce a list of about 200 B.C. establishments. More on British Columbia Qualifying businesses must score highly on a list of 10 core criteria, including use of local products, service, value, uniqueness, quality, environmental sustainability and its reputation as a "local favourite." Vancouver restaurateur Geoffrey Howes said the list has to be "non-elitist" and not simply a compilation of well-known, high-end restaurants. "The goal is to find all those totally cool places..." he said. "It can be a place where the cheque will be 10 bucks, like Mr. Pickwick's Fish & Chips, or somewhere like C or Lumiere or West, where it will cost a lot more." Howes expects the list will expand to more than 900 B.C. establishments over the next three or four years and estimates it will be self-sustaining and fully funded within two years, through corporate sponsorships and a $250 annual participation fee. He insists the B.C. culinary tourism guide won't be a "pay-to-play" vehicle, where anyone can make the list as long as they pay a fee. Restaurants will be inspected to ensure they maintain certain standards. Christian Gaudreault, owner of Tomato Fresh Food Cafe in Vancouver, said he always tries to showcase B.C. products because that's what customers want. "People are very well educated about local products and sustainability now so you're not going to pull a fast one on them," he said. Gaudreault said his restaurant regularly features items such as organic B.C. vegetables, Nicola Valley beef, Pemberton potatoes and Okanagan tomatoes. "When you establish a relationship with local farmers and local markets, you know where the product comes from and how it's harvested," he said. "Then you know it's fresher and tastier. It's a wonderful opportunity for all of us." Monsour said B.C. produces at least 235 different varieties of food and produce so there are enough fresh products to put on customers' plates year-round. Culinary tourism is defined as the search for unique and memorable experiences associated with prepared food and drink, including eating and drinking experiences, farm and winery tours and cooking classes. © The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007