Poor Chefs Competition

Details

The Poor Chefs Competition is one of the most anticipated events of the year! Local chefs are invited to compete to win the title and have their name engraved on the Poor Chefs trophy. The competition itself requires that chefs prepare a dish with only $3.15 and 2 of 10 commonly-donated food bank items. They are asked to prepare this dish 6 times for our 6 judges. Judges are then presented the dishes which are judged according to taste, creativity and presentation. Winners from previous years are invited to defend or reclaim their title creating an additional layer of good-natured competition.

Guests are invited to purchase tickets for $25 each which include appetizers served throughout the evening by Operation Come Home’s social enterprise, FoodWorks. A drink ticket is included and additional drink tickets are available for purchase. OH AND! When you show up to the event, we’ll ask you to fill out a raffle ticket (for free) and we will draw 6 names before the event begins. Each lucky name that is selected will get to try each one (unfortunately not all) of the chef’s entry dishes alongside the judges!

Does it get better? Why, yes. It does. This year, we have special guests, Top Shelf Distillers, who will be setting up one of their signature cocktail stations! And the list of FoodWorks appetizers for the event include:

• Asiago, smoked chicken & cranberry tartlets
• Moroccan-spiced sweetcorn, silken tofu & vegetable fritters, cilantro & red onion relish
• House-made bratwurst sausage rolls with grain mustard dip
• Crositini with squash hummus and harissa sirop

We’re happy to announce that last year’s champ, Harriet Clunie of Beechwood Gastropub, is coming back to defend her title!

The judges confirmed to date are: Sandra Plaigaikis from 105.3 KISS FM; Councillor Catherine McKenney; Anne DesBrisay (acclaimed food critic); and Executive Director of the Ottawa Food Bank, Michael Maidment.

Homeless youth in Ottawa often do not have the skills or knowledge of a chef, so preparing a meal with such limited resources is next to impossible. Instead, they turn to fast food or not eating at all. This event highlights the food security issues in Ottawa while raising funds to help support programs at OCH which teach youth how to prepare nutritional and cost-efficient meals for themselves.

You can learn more about our caterers at www.foodworksottawa.ca.