Three local chefs are to be congratulated on winning a national award for their cookbook highlighting Prince Edward Island’s culinary food products, stunning landscapes and rural heritage, says Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Henderson.
“Prince Edward Island is becoming known as a top culinary destination, which benefits our agricultural, fisheries and tourism industries,” said the minister. “This national recognition reflects the talent of Prince Edward Island chefs and the quality of the province’s fresh agricultural and seafood products.”
The cookbook Flavours of Prince Edward Island, a Culinary Journey took the gold award in the English Canadian Culinary Culture category of the 2011 Canadian Culinary Book Awards. The cookbook is the brainchild of chefs Jeff McCourt, Allan Williams and Austin Clement. The book features a collection of recipes from Prince Edward Island’s top chefs as well as stunning photographs and stories of the Island’s culinary culture.
The book received the award at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Also at the fair, two students from the Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown were named Canada’s Best New Student Chefs. Matt Warren, a second-year student, and Michael Clarke, enrolled in the Applied Degree in Culinary Operations, won the Canada Cooks the Books challenge as team Prince Edward Island. The team competed against teams from nine colleges across the country in preparing, cooking and plating a dish from a Canadian cookbook with the author on stage.
“Congratulations to each of these chefs for proudly representing Prince Edward Island and our culinary products,” said the minister.