The portions aren’t huge, but no one goes home hungry from Minto’s popular annual local food showcase.
The third Savour the Flavours of Minto and Area event was held Oct. 11 at the Harriston Minto Community Centre.
The event was sold out once again, with over 300 people on hand to sample the wares of 37 vendors, shop at a farmer’s market and check out an exhibit of local art work.
The event pairs food producers with local eateries, which prepare a wide range of home-style and exotic dishes for a meal that is served market-style in sample-sized portions.
“Minto is truly a great place to live and it is always a treat to take time each October to celebrate the culinary creations and creativity that comes from a very rich agricultural centre,” said Glenn Hall, of the Minto Chamber of Commerce, the lead organizer for the event.
“This event was formed to educate and recognize the importance of local foods, promote the local products and services of our vendors and sample the high quality of product being created in and around Minto.”
During opening remarks at the event, Hall acknowledged the contribution of numerous partners and sponsors, including the Town of Minto.
“The cooperation of the town staff for planning, organizing and running this event is hard to measure exactly, however without these efforts, an event like this could never be as successful,” he said.
Agricultural societies in both Harriston and Palmerston, as well as numerous local business sponsors also contribute to the success, he stated.
The Savour the Flavours event celebrates “quality local food and the local food experience,” noted Mark Kenney, of Wellington County Taste Real, which assists the local committee in event promotion.
New for the 2012 event was a showcase, in partnership with the Minto Arts Council, featuring the work of seven local artists.
Diners had a chance to meet the artists and view their creations, as well as to learn more about the Minto Arts Council and the Minto Cultural Roundtable.
All 300 tickets for this year’s event sold out in a single day. Funds generated from the $30 ticket sales go towards promotional efforts and a small honorarium ($100) for the vendors for their contribution to the meal. Any remaining funds go toward preparation for next year’s event.
Hall said the success of the fall Savour the Flavours of Minto and Area has prompted organizers to consider hosting a second event, in the early summer, each year.
