Prince Edward Island food products will take to the stage at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto during the weekend of November 5 to 7. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry is partnering with CBC Television's news program COMPASS and its weekly feature "Soup to Nuts" to prepare and present Island delicacies to the fair's visitors from the Royal Cooking Stage. CBC news anchor Roger Younker, together with Culinary Institute chef Hans Anderegg, will showcase the preparation of Island agriculture and fisheries products in front of live audiences. This is the first time in the history of the Royal Winter Fair that Island products have been featured in this way.
"We are very excited about this opportunity to talk about our high quality products in a prestigious setting such as the Royal Winter Fair," said Agriculture and Forestry Minister Eric Hammill. "As part of our new Food Strategy, our goal is to tell consumers that we are committed to producing healthy food from a healthy environment. Showcasing these products at the Royal Winter Fair will demonstrate our commitment to establish a new world standard for excellence."
Barbara Lowther, CBC Prince Edward Island's station manager, fully supports this initiative. "I am delighted with the opportunity to inform audiences about Island agriculture and fisheries products," she said.
COMPASS executive producer Steve Andrusiak agrees. "The Soup to Nuts feature has struck a chord with our COMPASS audience," he said. "They can't get enough of the simple and imaginative recipes. Celebrating what is produced and processed on the Island is an added plus."
Hans Anderegg, who is an instructor at the Culinary Institute of Canada, said that the Institute's participation at the Royal Winter Fair will help to raise its profile across Canada and beyond. The Culinary Institute is one of the premier culinary schools in Canada, with graduates found world-wide.
A full range of Island products will be featured as part of the cooking demonstrations, including potatoes, pork, vegetables, lobsters, mussels and oysters, all prepared in a number of distinctive ways. Chef Anderegg will be preparing each recipe on stage using Paderno Pots, which have been donated by the company for the event.
The presentation at the Royal Winter Fair is being coordinated by the Prince Edward Island Exhibition Association, and will feature a new visual display of agriculture and fisheries activities.
For more information contact Fiona Gibb, CBC at 629-6416 or Wayne MacKinnon, Agriculture and Forestry at 368-4888.