Local/Organic

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

    July 17, 2023
    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 dining, often ...
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  • Chef Emily Butcher: highlighting nouveau Canadian cuisine at Nola

    December 16, 2022
    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 chatted ...
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  • Why do Canadians want to shop local?

    July 8, 2022
    “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 nearly ...
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  • Assessing the public’s trust in Canada’s food supply

    May 16, 2022
    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 has ...
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  • Upcycled Certified expands into Canada after US success

    April 28, 2022
    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, and ...
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  • Trend Watch: Sake kasu, amba, devil’s club

    April 28, 2022
    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 a by-product of ...
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  • Diners willing to pay premium for sustainable takeout

    April 21, 2022
    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 pay ...
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  • Seafood companies call for higher traceability standards

    March 24, 2022
    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 House ...
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  • Trend Watch: Birch syrup, kosho, candy cap

    March 2, 2022
    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 complex and distinctly ...
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  • Canada supporting expanded organic food opportunities

    March 1, 2022
    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 news ...
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  • GoodLeaf Farms and Guelph University partner to advance vertical farming

    February 18, 2022
    GoodLeaf Farms and the University of Guelph have announced they are forging a partnership to further advancements in vertical farming.  A Memorandum of Understanding between Canada’s largest commercial vertical farm and one of Canada’s leading agricultural universities seeks to build stronger links between theoretical research and development in processes and technology, and practical application in the ...
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  • A trending taste for natural wine

    February 3, 2022
    By Sylvia Tomczak Temperamental, inconsistent, and wild. It isn’t surprising that with descriptions like these, natural wine has managed to captivate a whole new (and youthful) audience of drinkers. Bursting through every mainstream media outlet at the moment, these sediment-sprinkled bottles of raw wines are often found on the shelves of funky, niche bottle shops across Canada, ...
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  • Global maple syrup shortage forces Quebec’s hand

    December 3, 2021
    Rising demand a drop in production have created a global maple syrup shortage that is forcing Quebec to dip deeply into its strategic reserve. Quebec Maple Syrup Producers governs the province’s maple syrup production and will release 50 million pounds of maple syrup to the market by February 2022, said spokeswoman Helene Normandin. That volume, ...
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  • How 5 Canadian restaurateurs honour their roots while giving back

    November 30, 2021
    Getting a restaurant up and running can be challenging, especially when you’re far from home. Learn how these five Canadian restaurateurs found success by honouring their roots and giving back. Ask any restaurateur what keeps them going, and chances are, you’ll hear a few stories about where they come from.  Especially for restaurant owners who emigrated from ...
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  • Canadian Food Innovation Network programs proving popular

    November 10, 2021
    The Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) launched new Food Innovation Challenge and Innovation Booster funding programs in recent weeks, and they’re being met with great enthusiasm. The inaugural programs are connecting with food innovators across Canada and helping food sector leaders find ways to invigorate their businesses through innovation. “As a new organization launching programs amidst both a pandemic and an election, ...
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