Taste Real

Taste Real
Website http://www.tastereal.ca/

Taste Real from the Ground Up is a branding strategy that has been designed to promote locally grown food in the Guelph Wellington area in Canada. This new local food movement works closely with Guelph Tourism and six Economic Development Officers who represent the municipalities of Wellington County to create more opportunities for culinary tourism [1] Taste Real combines the efforts of volunteer business stakeholders, the Guelph Wellington Local Food Team and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs. This initiative is recognized by the Ontario Tourism Culinary Alliance.[2]

Principles of Taste Real

Taste Real’s initiative consists of three principles:

Field Dinner

In association with the Taste Real brand, the Taste Real field dinner serves as a fundraiser to support and preserve the development of Guelph Wellington Local Food. Partnered with Appetizingly Yours Events & Catering, the field dinner is described as an effort to “help raise funds to grow one of the most vibrant, local food economies and food tourism regions in Ontario.”[3]

The premise of the dinner is a ‘back to roots’ or ‘field/farm to fork’ ambience, taking place at a local Wellington County farm where chefs prepare alfresco courses using local ingredients paired with local wines. Diners are free to peruse the site as chefs prepare assigned courses—once the dinner bell sounds, it signals that guests are to take their place at the long table stretched through the field. Until the bell rings however, there is time to socialize, grab a drink, listen to music, and check in on how the real time painting of the event is shaping up.

Guelph Farmers Market, where foods with the Taste Real logo can be found.

The inaugural Taste Real field dinner took place on September 12, 2010 at Deerfield Farms in Erin, Ontario.[4] Chefs included Brian Schmeler, Jake Tyson, Sauna Edwards, Laura Marshall, Drew Renelt, and Chris Jess—as well as a slew of volunteers, service staff, and culinary assistants. Method’s for cooking involved charcoal barbecues and an open fire pit. The 2nd annual Taste Real field dinner takes place on Sunday, September 11 at Strom’s Farm in Guelph, Ontario.[3]

Farmalicious

Farmalicious is an event held by Taste Real where restaurants in Guelph and Elora participate in featuring locally grown food on their menus to celebrate the harvest season. This initiative allows guests to enjoy meals that are fresh and produced with products that are locally grown. In 2011, the event began each weekend starting on August 5, 2011 with Fat Duck Gastro Pub and will end on October 13, 2011 with Minto Township’s “Savour the Flavours.”[5]

List of participating restaurants:

Fat Duck Gastro Pub - Guelph Cork Restaurant - Elora
Envers - Morriston The Other Brother’s - Guelph
Breadalbane Bistro - Fergus Fifty West - Delta Guelph Hotel
Delhi Street Bistro - Guelph University of Guelph Campus Food Service - Guelph
Carden Street Café - Guelph Woolwich Arrow Pub - Guelph
Borealis Grille - Guelph Minto Township's “Savour the Flavours” Culinary Event

Staff and Coordinating Committee

While Taste Real is reliant on membership, it does maintain a staff as well as a coordinating committee.[6]

Staff

Coordinating Committee

References

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