How the Jewel of the Gulf Became a Foodie's Paradise
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
SPECIAL REPORT PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND How the jewel of the Gulf became a foodie’s key to a product’s success, and through CSK’s new partnership paradise Canada's Smartest with Fitorex Ltd., Canadians will soon be able to enjoy a range of heat & serve side dishes made with nutrient dense sprouted Internationally Kitchen Goes Global seeds and grains, a cutting edge health trend in food today. Fitorex Ltd. is not Canada Smartest Kitchen’s only interna- recognized and a Canada’s Smartest Kitchen has new international tional partner making moves into Canada. Joris Leferink, friends, and they’re bringing them to Atlantic Canada. For the Marketing Manager with Het Foodatelier and DeDutch in the mecca for celebrity uninitiated, Canada’s Smartest Kitchen (CSK) is a leader in food Netherlands, has been spending more time on Prince Edward product development and innovation happening in Atlantic Island in recent months. His organization’s specialty lies in chefs, P.E.I. has Canada, across the nation, and internationally. Located on the innovative processing and packaging, which Atlantic Canadian transformed itself into beautiful Charlottetown waterfront in Prince Edward Island, processors will be able to use to their benefit. “Many people and operating as the research and development arm of The can make products, there are only few who can find innovative the kitchen of Canada Culinary Institute of Canada, CSK employs a team of highly solutions” says Mr. Leferink. European food innovation is years skilled product developers with a wide range of specialties ahead of the rest of the world, and CSK is keen on bringing By Alec Bruce from seafood to confectioneries, as well as a team of marketing this innovation to those clients who would profit most, such as specialists who understand the competitive landscape of those in the lobster and fisheries industries. Together, this new today’s food products. partnership is one that marks a move in the right direction for When it comes to producing and launching innovative food Atlantic Canadian food processors, packagers, and consumers, products in a foreign country, homeland expertise is required as they will have the ability to interact on a strategic level with for optimized results and highest return on investment. This game-changing, innovative pioneers in the industry previously type of market understanding is critical under the Canada-Eu- out of reach from Canadians. Het Foodatelier will also offer ropean Union Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement consultation and insight into European markets for those (CETA), signed in 2014 after years of drawn-out negotiations Canadian clients who are seeking overseas opportunities for between the regions. The Canada-EU trade agreement is their products and they will be working alongside CSK to expected to eliminate tariffs on almost all agriculture, seafood provide this service. and industrial products with an estimated $1.5B in agrifood By solidifying new partnerships, Peter Crooks, Executive related trade. Under this agreement, Canadian & European Director at CSK, firmly believes there are many opportunities Union companies have been granted open access to each other for his Atlantic Canadian clients to benefit from the CETA. Mr. and the services they supply. So when Fitorex Ltd., a Hungari- Crooks has been a guest judge and moderator at the European an sprouting R&D facility, aspired to bring their sprouted Food Venture Forum in Aarhus, Denmark, and has participated soybean technology to Canada, it was Canada’s Smartest in several European trade missions. “Act locally, think globally” Kitchen they reached out to in order to facilitate their success- he says of his approach. “We are building the foundation for a ful entrance through a means of detailed market research, bridge between the EU and Canada that not only allows for the product concept formulation, and industry experience. Fitorex import and export of finished food products ready for market, Ltd. has an invested interest in Canada’s food marketplace, but but also facilitates the transfer of knowledge and innovation.” the company will face everything from regulatory challenges to Canada’s Smartest Kitchen’s goal is to enable Atlantic Canadian differences in consumer preferences upon entering this new companies to become competitive, highly adaptable and market. Being able to expertly navigate the market landscape is innovative leaders in the global food marketplace. Credit: ©Tourism PEI / Stephen Harris (902) 566-9373 www.canadassmartestkitchen.ca atlanticbusinessmagazine.com | Atlantic Business Magazine 53 V26 N6 2015.indd 53 Date:15-10-14 Page: 53.p1.pdf 2015-10-14 10:46 AM It was a flash of public relations brilliance, and a recipe for success among Prince Edward Island’s culinary contingent. Take two of North America’s most- reputation of the Prince Edward watched morning talk-show hosts, Island food brand.” cook them slowly under a camera on All this is, of course, the sort of low heat in front of Charlottetown bureaucratic bafflegab expected Harbour, season them with local, when a provincial government gastronomic treats and watch the joins with a federal organization bread of international marketing rise (in this case, the Atlantic Canada naturally. Opportunities Agency) and private- So it was in mid-July, 2010, when industry operators. Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa planted Still, the bottom line is that Prince their less-than-ample derrieres Edward Island, with all of 140,000 on chairs situated on a raised dais residents, is on an indisputable roll to sample everything from mussel when it comes to food tourism. And hotdogs and oyster ice cream, to it has been for years. ham and clam sandwiches. Later, Says Holmes: “The Culinary according to one report, “Kelly and Alliance, as a public-private family dined on lobster and she consortium, was formally founded in loved the homemade P.E.I. biscuits.” 2009, but long before that, various As for the show’s spread, tourism interests on the Island were nearly 2.9 million viewers from concentrating on the province’s Vancouver to New Orleans watched food as a means to build tourism the hosts stuff their faces and, traffic. Overall, we’ve been quite between bites, issue such reviews successful.” as, “magnificent”, “unbelievable”, In fact, that’s an understatement. “superb” – all from the land of Anne Flaring off from the Regis and Kelly of Green Gables. weeklong event, tourism numbers “Yup,” says on P.E.I. have spiked Jan Holmes, “We every year since meant to do it that 2011. way. That was on 37% The most recent purpose.” statistics from Holmes, to Increase in P.E.I. visitors, the provincial be clear, is the 2014 to 1015 government indicate director of Food that visitor traffic to Tourism and Applied Research the Island in the summer of 2015 for the P.E.I. Culinary Alliance, an was 37 per cent higher than the organization that only recently previous year. That followed tourism Credit: ©Tourism PEI / Yvonne Duivenvoorden PEI / Yvonne ©Tourism Credit: reinvented itself as the Food Island hikes in the high double-digits in Partnership. A group that, according 2014, 2013 and 2012. to its website, is “established to What these results have to do work closely with industry and with Island food, exactly, is an government partners to support open question. Although P.E.I.’s the growth of the P.E.I. food sector government doesn’t publish visitor and position P.E.I. as Canada’s Food stats based on general draws from Island. The organization works in beaches, restaurants or heritage the following key areas to achieve sites, it has credited food tourism its mandate: Supporting food with providing the biggest, most company and product development; reliable boost to the provincial enabling applied research to economy during the hardest times of support value chain integration; the last recession. and leveraging and building the Indeed, at least one celebrity chef 54 Atlantic Business Magazine | November/December 2015 V26 N6 2015.indd 54 Date:15-10-14 Page: 54.p1.pdf 2015-10-14 10:46 AM from Toronto believes that Prince the local charm, plus the national Edward Island’s deliberate effort to conversation about food. It comes at remake itself as a foodie paradise you from different angles. But, it all is working, economically, for the works. That’s what’s great on the province. “P.E.I. is like this fairy tale Island. That’s a great focus.” island,” says Toronto-based Mark Naturally, Jan Holmes agrees. McEwan. “The people there are easy The biggest food-tourism event of and very relaxed. They are very the year on P.E.I. is Fall Flavours–a passionate about the food business, month-long extravaganza between the restaurant scene and the whole early September and early October, Mark McEwan at the 2014 Beef ’n Blues event culture around food.” involving chefs like McEwan, Photo credit Stephen Harris McEwan knows something Michael Smith, Lynn Crawford, about this. He owns and operates Susur Lee, Chuck Hughes, Anna a suite of restaurants and catering Olson, and Vikram Vij–which “ They (Prince Edward businesses in The Big Smoke. “It’s typically generates more than Islanders) are very a combination of factors,” he says $600,000 in direct tourism revenue, about P.E.I. “I think the (provincial) and more like $1.4 million in passionate about the government looked at everything multiplier and indirect boons, for the food business, the and they had a very good reaction province. “Yes,” she says, “this has to the food scene. I believe they been our biggest annual effort,” at restaurant scene and focussed on it. Also, you now have least since Regis and Kelly left the the whole culture a lot of expats living in P.E.I.–people Island playground some years ago.