Prince Edward Island’s high quality seafood has helped to inspire some of the Island’s top chefs to create culinary works of art during the inaugural Best of Sea promotion, says Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Alan McIsaac.
“Many of Prince Edward Island’s seafood products are at their peak of quality this time of year so it is a great time for a fresh new promotion that highlights our Island seafood industry and the amazing talents of our local Island chefs,” said Minister McIsaac. “The Best of Sea promotion is not only a great way to increase consumption of Prince Edward Island seafood but it also provides an opportunity to grow our culinary tourism brand.”
The Best of Sea promotion ran for three weeks in November and included 12 participating restaurants offering a total of 48 unique seafood dishes. In total, 12 Prince Edward Island seafood species were highlighted as well as other Island agriculture and artisan food products.
Consumers were given the chance to vote for their favorite dishes online to 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.
The 2015 Best of Sea winners were:
Islanders Choice Award – Chef Jane Crawford (Red Water Rustic Grille) for “The Wild Crustacean”
The Wild Crustacean – Chef Irwin MacKinnon (Papa Joes)
Indulge and Be Shellfish – Chef Irwin MacKinnon (Papa Joes)
Hooked Up with Flavours – Chef Miquel Cervantes (Water’s Edge)
The Ultimate Seafood Fusion – Chef Irwin MacKinnon (Papa Joes)
“Prince Edward Island seafood is second to none and 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 McIsaac. “High quality Island seafood is available year round and we encourage all Islanders to support our local food industries.”
The promotion website will be kept live throughout the year and offers food service guides, videos and species information for chefs and consumers, and information on where to buy Prince Edward Island seafood. For more information, visit www.bestofsea.com.