Gold Medal Plates

I’M USUALLY SAD to say goodbye to summer but this year my favourite season ended on a high note when I was invited to join the Ottawa judges’ panel for Canada’s premier culinary competition — Gold Medal Plates.

Celebrated in eleven cities across Canada, Gold Medal Plates features the leading chefs in each city in a competition to crown a gold, silver and bronze medal culinary team in each city, and subsequently nation-wide at the Canadian Culinary Championships. Only one chef wins and to be crowned the top chef in Canada is a career changer.

But it’s not only about food. Gold Medal Plates raises funds for the Canadian Olympic Foundation to support Canadian Olympic athletes, demonstrating that Canadians are committed to their development, passionate about their journey, and proud to have them represent us on the world stage. To date, over $12 million has been raised.

To top it off, Jim Cuddy, lead singer of Blue Rodeo is the Gold Medal Plates national entertainment advisor. He invites incredible Canadian talent to share the stage with him at each city’s gala events. Well, that’s my news. I hope your summer was fabulous and filled with good food. I also hope you’ll enjoy this issue of TASTE& TRAVEL. As usual, we’re all over the map — from New Zealand to Nashville, Taiwan to Thailand, Mérida to Montreal and more, learning about places and people, and the food on their tables. Happy reading!