by Jo Dickins

Photographer Jo Dickins brought her camera to Terroir, the high-end hospitality conference held on March 2. Among the chefs, winemakers, hospitality professionals and food activists, Dickins roamed looking for something or someone to catch her eye. She also set up a portrait booth, where she woulld randomly grab pairs of attendees for an impromptu shoot. Dickins has covered the Ontario culinary scene for years, with a focus on its principal actors. She explains, “I love food people, and I love taking their pictures: they are so varied, and so much more interesting than any other fireld.” – Malcolm Jolley, Editor.

Breakfast: 10 stations, each manned or womanned by a top Toronto chef, including Tawfik Shehata from Vertical pictured at centre.

Arlene Stein welcomes all delegates (as some continue to break fast).

Terroir is as much about networking and sampling as anything else. Symposium Chair Donna Dooher (centre) encourage all to smile.

From the key note speech from David Kinch, to seminars on wine with Paul Grieco, Norman Hardie and Jamie Drummond,  the day is packed with information.

And then there is lunch,  supervised by Langdon Hall’s Grand Chef Jonathan Gushue (left).

Lunch included a bollito misto, which each participating chef added a meat, including beef tongue (centre).

Bettina Schormann, Bertrand Alepee and Sarah Villamere provide dessert.

Jennifer Agg lectures on homemade bitters.

Connections are made or reinforced: David Kinch and Arlene Stein and Jonathan Gushue and Ruth Klahsen.

The next day visiting media types get a gastro tour: GQ’s Alan Richman at Caplansky’s (right)

And a wino tour: Niagara Street cafe’s Anton Potvin (left) leads the group on an Ontario wine tasting including Adam Sachs,  pictured with Arlene Stein.

Then,  of course, a maple taffy tasting at The Drake Hotel, enthusiastically supported by OCTA’s Rebecca LeHeup (right).

Stratford chef Neil Baxter (left) lends a hand to the Langdon Hall crew at a VIP dinner at The Cheese Boutique hosted by Perth County.

Jo Dickins is a Toronto-based professional photographer. Find out more about Jo Dickins at jodickins.com.

[Photo: John Gundy.]