Michelin Bib Gourmand honours great restaurants that don’t break the bank

By Jessica Brill Contrary to what many may believe, exceptional food doesn’t need to come with a hefty price tag, even when searching for Michelin rated restaurants. These days, many consumers are stretching their dollars, but despite the challenges, eating well isn’t off the table. The highly coveted Michelin stars focus on excellence in fine […]

Chef Emily Butcher: highlighting nouveau Canadian cuisine at Nola

Fun, simple, and elegant. Those words best describe chef Emily Butcher’s vision in co-creating Nola, a new-concept restaurant in St. Boniface, Winnipeg. Partnering with Burnley Place Hospitality to open in 2021, the restaurant has thrived as one of Canada’s Top 30 Restaurants in 2022, finding its niche with foodies in the local culinary scene. CFRN […]

Why do Canadians want to shop local?

“Shop local” has been a mantra for a while now, and a new survey from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab (AAL) in partnership with Angus Reid has found that most Canadians feel that it is important that the products they see and buy at the grocery store are local. That sentiment is the strongest in Quebec, where […]

Assessing the public’s trust in Canada’s food supply

Over the past two decades, Canadian consumers have shown an increasing interest in the country’s food supply, including where their food comes from, how it is produced, the environmental impacts of that production, nutritional composition and health benefits, and more. This has only intensified during the pandemic, and a new report from Nourish Food Marketing […]

Upcycled Certified expands into Canada after US success

The Upcycled Food Association (UFA), the premier trade association for the upcycled food industry, has announced that its Upcycled Certified program has been expanded into Canada after what it calls “extraordinary success” in the U.S. market.  Upcycled foods use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains, […]

Trend Watch: Sake kasu, amba, devil’s club

By Katie Belflower Our latest edition of Trend Watch with Technomic highlights three menu trends that are being seen across Canada right now, and how Canadian restaurants are utilizing them to unique and great effect on their menus. Sake kasu Japanese paste-like condiment sake kasu is derived from the sake brewing process. Since it is […]

Diners willing to pay premium for sustainable takeout

Sustainable food is increasingly a focus of discussion for the food industry and the general public, and it seems it is top of mind for diners when it comes to ordering takeout, too. According to Deliverect data cited by Restaurant Dive, more than four in 10 (43 per cent of) diners would be willing to […]

Seafood companies call for higher traceability standards

Seafood companies in Canada are calling on the federal government to bolster the standards around the traceability of seafood products across the country. A group of 26 grocery chains, seafood industry stakeholders, and experts want the government to commit to a timeline and plan to fulfil its mandate to implement boat-to-plate traceability for seafood. The […]

Trend Watch: Birch syrup, kosho, candy cap

By Katie Belflower Our latest edition of Trend Watch with Technomic highlights three menu trends that are being seen across Canada right now, and how Canadian restaurants are utilizing them to great effect. Birch syrup Birch syrup is made from birch sap and produced in much the same way as maple syrup, but has a […]

Canada supporting expanded organic food opportunities

The government of Canada has announced funding of up to $770,000 for the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) to support market development for organic food products.   Noting that the agriculture and agri-food sector is a key driver of Canada’s economy and the organic food industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in Canada, a […]