FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Friday July 13, 2018)
Oysters, mussels and lobster take centre stage during this four-day celebration of PEI’s world-famous shellfish. Join Chefs Lynn Crawford and Michael Smith for a jam-packed schedule of exciting culinary competitions and demos by day, and roof-raising kitchen parties by night.
The ferocity is real, the tension palpable and the culinary mastery unparalleled. Welcome to the Garland Canada International Chef Challenge, the most prestigious competition of the 2018 PEI International Shellfish Festival. The all Canadian, all-star line up of chefs this year is top notch.
Food Network Canada’s Top Chef Canada winner, Ross Larkin from St. John’s, Newfoundland as well as runner up, Mark Singson will be competing in Charlottetown for $10,000. Larkin is the Chef de Cuisine at one of Canada’s top restaurants, Raymonds, and recently won Top Chef Canada’s grand prize of $100,000 and a GE Monogram kitchen valued at $30,000. Singson is the chef and founder of FAM Inc. in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The 2017 Garland Canada International Chef Challenge winner and Top Chef Canada final four, Jinhee Lee is returning to defend her title. Lee is the Executive Chef at the unique Pan-Asian restaurant Foreign Concept in Calgary, Alberta. Another finalist in Top Chef Canada final four, JP Miron of Montreal, Quebec, will also be competing. Currently the Chef de Cuisine at Bocata Restauarant, Miron is opening a new restaurant in July. Darren Rogers sparked his love for culinary competitions on the past season of Top Chef Canada and also has won the BC Junior Chef of the Year and third place in the Iron Chef BC Black Box in 2015. Rogers is the Chef de Cuisine at Antonio Park’s Park restaurant in Montreal, Quebec. Another competitor on Food Network Canada’s Top Chef Canada, Jesse Zuber from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan will be competing in the Garland Canada International Chef Challenge. Zuber is the Executive Chef and Co-owner of Little Grouse on the Prairie and was recently awarded one of Canada’s Top 100 Restaurants.
Earlier today, Best of Sea announced their 2018 Chic Chef of the Year after a month-long culinary competition and restaurant promotion that included 14 of the Island’s top chefs. The winner, Chef Jesse MacDonald from David’s at Rodd Crowbush Golf & Beach Resort will take the 12thspot in the Garland Canada International Chef Challenge lineup. Cheer on this hometown hero as he heads into the action on the mainstage at the Festival this fall.
Snag front row seats and watch in awe at the culinary talents of these professional chefs also competing for the $10,000 cash prize. Jacob Taylor (Tuckshop Kitchen, Toronto, Ontario), Darren MacLean (Shokunin, Calgary, Alberta), Jonny O’Callaghan (Noble Bistro, Mississauga, Ontario) and Michelle Matheson (The Pointe Restaurant, Tofino, British Columbia). There will be one more surprise chef announced soon!
Step aside seasoned chefs, it’s time for the next crop of aspiring chefs to test their culinary chops at the all NEW Junior Chef Challenge presented by Dairy Farmers of Canada. Get ready for an awe-inspiring display of kitchen skills and creativity as young culinary masters compete to win a whopping $1,000 cash prize in this new, live action challenge hosted by Chef Michael Smith. Watch as six youth aged 9 to 15 transform raw ingredients into mouth-watering, gorgeous culinary creations showcasing PEI shellfish, including mussels, oysters, lobster and clams. Just like in the big leagues, there will be a twist ingredient the junior chefs must incorporate into their dishes, which Chef Michael will be harvesting from his own farm. Applications are now being accepted for the Junior Chef Challenge. Applicants will be asked to submit a video explaining why they love to cook and showcasing their preparation of the dish they will be making in the competition. Dishes must include PEI Shellfish as the main ingredient. So start dreaming up a shellfish creation, submit your video and you could find yourself on the main stage of the PEI International Shellfish Festival, being cheered on by your biggest fans, including Chef Michael Smith. What are you waiting for? It’s time to get cooking! Apply online at www.peishellfish.com. Applications must be received by August 3rd.
Also new this year, we have teamed up with Experience PEI which is providing authentic shellfish experiences for guests of the Shellfish Festival. All tickets include one day entry to the festival grounds and a complete experience for shellfish lovers including a Seafood Safari, Oyster Lovers, Fiddling Fisherman and Taste the Town – Shellfish Edition. Learn about how we grow and harvest mussels, oysters, soft shelled clams and quahogs then fill your bellies with a delicious feed. Book your shellfish experience at www.peishellfish.com.
Chef Lynn Crawford is hosting the kick off Fall Flavours Signature Event, Feast and Frolic on Thursday September 13. Designed with shellfish lovers in mind, Feast & Frolic serves up a massive feed of PEI lobster, oysters, mussels and more. Begin the night with a ‘frolic’, savoring delicious shellfish and tasting your way through the World’s Greatest Oyster Bar, then sit down to a surf & turf feast showcasing PEI lobster and beef served tableside by talented chefs. Feast and Frolic is presented by Lobster Fishers of PEI and prepared by national chef of the year, Irwin MacKinnon from Papa Joe’s Restaurant. Tickets are available now for $155.00 plus tax and service fees.
Save 10% when you purchase tickets before September 1st. Weekend passes ($35.00*), General Admission Friday or Saturday ($17.00*), General Admission Sunday ($14.00*). *Tickets are subject to applicable tax and service fees. On site prices go in effect September 13th. Purchase online www.peishellfish.com or at the Eastlink Centre Box Office.
AIR MILES® Collectors can redeem their Dream Miles to get weekend passes to the festival, as well as Feast and Frolic dinner tickets. Weekend passes (900 Dream Miles) and Feast and Frolic (1,850 Dream Miles). Redeem at www.airmiles.ca/events.
Gold and Onyx® AIR MILES Collectors have exclusive access to a private meet and greet with Chef Michael Smith on Sunday September 16. AIR MILES Events Exclusive package includes one (1) Sunday admission day pass to the festival, a private meet and greet with Chef Michael Smith, PEI seafood chowder and PEI oysters and two (2) cocktails. Redeem your package for 100 Dream Miles at www.airmiles.ca/events.
The Prince Edward Island International Shellfish Festival is the world’s largest celebration of shellfish and takes place September 13 – 16, 2018 at the Charlottetown Event Grounds in Canada’s Food Island. Signal Hill will headline Friday September 14 and Big Bad Party Band on Saturday September 15. Full entertainment line up and schedule of events available online www.peishellfish.com.
Guests travelling to the Prince Edward Island International Shellfish Festival by ferry can take advantage of Northumberland Ferries promo code and receive 20% off your ferry crossing.
Quotes
“The PEI International Shellfish Festival has shown impressive growth in two decades. It is a true celebration of what Prince Edward Island has to offer; culinary delights from land and sea, hospitality, and cultural and scenic treasures from tip to tip. This four-day festival provides an economic boost to our economy in September and showcases internationally what PEI has to offer in tourism and business potential.”
– Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
“The quality, freshness and flavor of seafood available here in Canada’s Food Island lends itself well to the talent and creativeness of the culinary world, and the PEI International Shellfish Festival and Best of Sea are great ways to showcase both. I want to recognize all chefs who participated in this year’s Best of Sea promotion and I look forward to cheering on Chef Jesse MacDonald as he competes among the very best Canada has to offer.”
– The Honourable Robert Henderson, PEI Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
“The PEI International Shellfish Festival is a big part of what makes September one of the best months to visit the Island. The festival does a tremendous job of highlighting our delicious seafood and the incredible chefs who prepare it. It also draws visitors from all over the world looking to experience the sights, sounds and flavours of Canada’s Food Island”
– The Honourable Chris Palmer, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism
“There is no place like Prince Edward Island for seafood and because of that we are able to host the greatest celebration of shellfish in the world right here in Canada’s Food Island. The festival continues to attract the best of the best chefs, oyster shuckers and foodies from all over the world.”
– Liam Dolan, Chair of the Prince Edward Island International Shellfish Festival
“The PEI International Shellfish Festival continues to offer programming of an international calibre with celebrity chefs, world champion oyster shuckers and action packed culinary competitions. The festival showcases the best of PEI shellfish and continues to be a major draw for locals and off-Island visitors in our shoulder tourism season. It’s a great tradition for many and we’re pleased to support such a fantastic event.”
– Clifford Lee, Mayor City of Charlottetown
“We are very excited to be sponsoring the Junior Chef Challenge, an event celebrating the passion for quality Canadian cooking in young people, and we are so pleased that these young people will be using 100% Canadian milk as part of the Challenge.”
– Ashlee Smith, Assistant Director, Internal Comm. and Corporate Sponsorships, Dairy Farmers of Canada
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jennifer@versatilegroup.ca
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