The 2016 Canadian Culinary Championships presented is taking place in Kelowna, BC February 5-6, 2016.

We’ll be  up in Kelowna for this (wouldn’t miss it) and are interviewing the chefs prior and will share post coverage on BC Living Magazine. We’ve just been told there are very limited tickets left. Pictures are from the BC Competition held in Victoria

From the release:

Chefs compete in three events over two days, challenging their skills, endurance and ability to think quickly with the goal of being crowned champion.Tickets for events can be purchased online at www.goldmedalplates.com or by calling 647-328-0149.

Attendees at each event have the opportunity to enjoy the dishes created by each competitor along with their wine pairings. Guests attending the Grand Finale will enjoy live music from Barney Bentall (Legendary Hearts) and John Mann, Geoffrey Kelly and Matthew Harder from Spirit of the West, have the opportunity to bid on incredible live auction items exclusive to the Canadian Culinary Championships and cheer on all competitors as we witness who makes it to the podium in 2016.

Tickets are available for two key events including:
Friday, February 5, 2016
Mystery Wine Pairing
Chefs are given a mystery bottle of wine and must create a dish with local ingredients that best complements the mysterious vintage, in a set amount of time and with a set budget. Guests will have the pleasure of sampling these creations on the opening night of the competition in a stand up cocktail reception format. During the event, guests will taste the mystery wine and play ‘judge’ as they vote on the ‘People’s Choice Award’ for the best wine and food pairing. A silent auction of rare wines and other experiences will also be featured. Food and wine included. Cost: $145 plus tax

Saturday, February 6, 2016
Grand Finale Competition
On the final night of competition, anything goes. Chefs create their best dish for guests to sample, paired with a great wine from their regional winery partner. By evening’s end, Canada’s Champion Chef of 2016 will be crowned and a victory celebration will be staged including live music by Canadian music icons Barney Bentall (Legendary Hearts) and John Mann, Geoffrey Kelly and Matthew Harder from Spirit of the West. Food and wine included. Cost: $275 plus tax

“We are entering our 6th year hosting the Gold Medal Plates Grand Finale – the Canadian Culinary Championships. It is very gratifying to see how the community has embraced this event,” comments Judy Burns, Event Chair, Canadian Culinary Championships. “The Championships are one of the most significant culinary competitions held in Canada, attracting many of our top culinary talents. We are proud to have the opportunity to showcase to all of our guests locally and from abroad, the bounty Kelowna and the Okanagan has to share.”

Chef judging will be led by James Chatto, Gold Medal Plates’ National Culinary Advisor and Head Judge and includes the following participating Gold Medal Chefs:

REPRESENTING BRITISH COLUMBIA – Alex Chen – Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar, Vancouver
REPRESENTING CALGARY- Matthew Batey – The Nash Restaurant & Off Cut Bar
REPRESENTING EDMONTON- Jan Trittenbach – Solstice Seasonal Cuisine
REPRESENTING REGINA – Jonathan Thauberger – Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar
REPRESENTING SASKATOON – Darren Craddock – Riverside Country Club
REPRESENTING WINNIPEG- Norm Pastorin – The Cornerstone Bar & Restaurant
REPRESENTING TORONTO – Stuart Cameron – Byblos
REPRESENTING OTTAWA – Marc Lepine – Atelier
REPRESENTING MONTREAL – Guillaume Cantin – Les 400 Coups REPRESENTING ST. JOHN’S – Roger Andrews – Relish Gourmet Burgers REPRESENTING HALIFAX – Martin Ruiz Salvador – Fleur de Sel, Lunenberg

Event information:
Official Website: www.goldmedalplates.com
Official Twitter: @GoldMedalPlates
Official Hashtag: #CCC2016

About Canadian Culinary Championships
The Canadian Culinary Championships is the finale of Gold Medal Plates – the ultimate celebration of Canadian Excellence in cuisine, wine, entertainment and athletic achievement. Celebrated in eleven cities across Canada in 2015, Gold Medal Plates featured superb wines and the premier 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.

Founded in 2003, the goal of Gold Medal Plates is to raise substantial funds for Canada’s high performance athletes, while celebrating Canadian excellence. Since 2004, this event has received tremendous support and accolades all across Canada, and generated a combined net total of nearly $11 million for Canada’s Olympic athletes! For more information, visit the Gold Medal Plates website www.goldmedlaplates.com

The Canadian Olympic Foundation – Beneficiary of the Events Net proceeds from Gold Medal Plates are given to the Canadian Olympic Foundation to support athletes through high performance programs such as Own the Podium. To learn more about the foundation and the programs it funds, please visit www.olympicfoundation.ca