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 […]

Canadians are making reservations further in advance amid higher indoor dining demand

The restaurant industry has seen so many changes over the last few years and is in recovery mode, but even with the continuing surge in delivery and takeout, more Canadians are making reservations and visiting restaurants now than ever. In fact, the rebound in indoor dining has been so strong that Canada and the US […]

The Great Resignation: How to attract, retain, and support your team

By Tom Nightingale COVID-19 has brought lasting change to the foodservice and hospitality industry, from the way restaurateurs and chefs manage and lead their business to the way they communicate and support their colleagues and staff. That evolution has been a necessary one, fueled in no small part by the ongoing labour crisis – “The […]

In foodservice and beyond, human connection cannot be an afterthought

By Tom Nightingale Foodservice has been going through something of a technological revolution in recent years, an apparent long-term shift that took another leap forward during the pandemic. Increased digitization and automation bring benefits, such as increased convenience and accessibility, but what it cannot and should not attempt to replace is human connection. Perhaps now, […]

Bika: Honouring Turkish roots with sustainable farming & local values

Chef Fisun Ercan explains why running Quebec’s Bika Farm and Cuisine is more than just a dream fulfilled By Tom Nightingale Nestled in the southern Quebec countryside just outside Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu, about 45 minutes from downtown Montreal, Chef Fisun Ercan runs Bika Farm and Cuisine, a truly local and sustainable food experience that pays homage to […]

Boosting the appeal of foodservice as a career destination

The foodservice industry’s reputation has suffered some damage in recent years and under the harsh spotlight of the unprecedentedly difficult circumstances created by the pandemic. But, for its flaws, it remains a labour of love and an industry in which talented and committed chefs and cooks can flourish and forge long and successful careers. The […]

Connecting chefs in need with cooks of the future

The culinary industry has been struggling with staffing through the pandemic, but the Culinary Federation is doing all that it can to help ease the pain. The Federation’s Toronto branch recently held an exciting ice-breaker networking event at Shalit Foods Inc. in downtown Toronto with the goal of connecting chefs who are looking for more […]

Canadian culinary progress promises a bright future

By Tom Nightingale After such a damaging and painful two years, how does the Canadian culinary and restaurant industry keep young and talented chefs motivated and keen to build a career in the industry? That just might be the million-dollar question amid the high-profile and lingering talk of a labour crisis and the magnified challenges […]

Bringing millennia of culinary history to life in the 21st century

By Tom Nightingale In the heart of Saskatchewan, three kilometres north of Saskatoon, sitting above Opimihaw Creek and not far off the Saskatchewan River, is a place that typifies Canada’s rich cultural history: Wanuskewin Heritage Park. Wanuskewin’s archeological resources represent 6,400 years of the Northern Plains peoples – twice the age of Egypt’s Pyramids of […]