Many Prince Edward Island seafood products are at the peak of quality this time of year. In an effort to increase local consumption of PEI seafood now and throughout the year, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has partnered with the Food Island Partnership to develop Best of Sea, a three-week promotion celebrating Prince Edward Island’s wide array of top quality seafood and culinary talent.
“Best of Sea is an awesome opportunity to showcase some of the best seafood and shellfish in the world from PEI! It is such an amazing opportunity not only for the many local talented chefs to showcase their dishes, but also for Islanders to learn more about what is available to us locally, unique ways to prepare those ingredients and how to celebrate mother nature and the beautiful product that comes from the ocean surrounding PEI,” says Chef Jane Crawford of Red Water Rustic Grille Charlottetown.
There are 12 participating restaurants in the promotion offering a total of 48 unique seafood dishes featuring 12 Prince Edward Island seafood species and other Prince Edward Island agriculture and artisan food products.
During the three-week promotion, consumers will be given the chance to vote for their favorite dishes online. These votes will determine the winner of the Islanders Choice Award and help the official judging panel determine the best dishes in each category: The Wild Crustacean, Indulge and Be Shellfish, Hooked Up with Flavours and The Ultimate Seafood Fusion.
“Islanders know our seafood is recognized throughout the world for being amazing, yet local consumption isn’t as high as we’d like it to be. The Best of Sea promotion will help us increase local awareness of the seafood we have available, while encouraging our chefs to have more fun with these great fresh ingredients,” says Jan Holmes, Director of Food Tourism and Applied Research with the Food Island Partnership.
Voting online for favorite dishes will give consumers the chance to win gift certificates from the participating restaurants. Executive Chef’s will be competing for the titles of Best in Sea in each category and will be awarded with custom restaurant plaques and a total of $5000 in prize money.
The promotion website has also been developed as an online Prince Edward Island seafood resource for chefs and consumers. The website offers food service guides, videos and species information for chefs and recipes and seafood retailers for consumers.
“Prince Edward Island’s seafood is second to none and the Province of Prince Edward Island supports the growth and development of the industry and recognizes its important contribution to our provincial economy. While it is important that the global market place recognizes our Island food products for their high quality, it is also important that we focus on increasing education and consumption of Island food products locally,” said Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Alan McIsaac. “The Best of Sea promotion is a great way to get Islanders involved in celebrating the bounty of our land and sea.”
For a list of participating restaurants, and for more information about Best of Sea, visit: www.bestofsea.com
Summary: The three-week Best of Sea promotion is happening now through November 30. During this time, twelve executive chefs in Prince Edward Island will compete to have their innovative seafood dishes named the best in PEI.