NYC Food Blogger Elizabeth Minett and local Pig Farmer Mark Lass enjoy the offerings at 2011’s Savour Stratford

Fall/Autumn is our favourite season here at Good Food Revolution and one of our favourite food events at this time of year is the gastronomic festival that is Savour Stratford, taking place this year from the 21st to the 23rd of September.

2012’s festival features over 12 award winning chefs, 30 varied tutored tasting sessions, workshops, and interactive demonstrations (two featuring GFR’s Jamie Drummond, see below!)

This year’s theme is “Celebrating Our Culinary Roots” and the myriad events held all over Stratford all take this as their starting point.

Stratford truly is one of Ontario’s loveliest heritage towns. We love to roam the outdoor farmers’ and artisan markets, picking up fruits and vegetables, sweet/savoury pies, and naturally raised meats… and finding time to drop into the odd pub or two for a quick pint along the way. Saying that, there is always a smashing beer garden at Savour Stratford!

Next weeks’ Savour Stratford features some very special culinary guests:

Chef David Rocco, International star of David Rocco’s Dolce Vita

Geoff Hopgood, Champion of sustainable Maritime cuisine at Hopgood’s Foodliner, Toronto

Carl Heinrich, Winner of 2012’s Top Chef Canada, graduate of the Stratford Chefs School, and Chef/Owner of the soon-to-be-opened Richmond Station, Toronto

Mark Cutrara, Nose-To-Tail Visionary, graduate of the Stratford Chefs School, Owner of Parkdale’s Cowbell restaurant, and Chef of the soon-to-be-opened Samuel J. Moore at The Great Hall, Toronto

If getting a bit squiffy whilst listening to some down-and-dirty roadhouse blues is your kind of thang then check out the  “BBQ , Blues and Brews- Southern Style!” party… it’s always rather raucous and leaves many a Festivalgoer  looking a little peeky come the Sunday morning.

The centrepiece of the Festival is undoubtedly the “Savour Stratford Tasting”, where 30 chefs and local producers are paired with the a selection of VQA wines and craft brews.

So guess where we are going to be this weekend?… and remember, it’s just 90 minutes west of Toronto.

Check out the festival map and full schedule

Fortified Wine Tasting – Sherry, Port, Maderia and Marsala Jamie Drummond former Sommelier for the Granite Club and the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar is Senior Editor for Good Food Revolution and will take you on a revealing tasting of fortified wines.
11:30am, The Tutored Tastings Tent, Market Square, South Tasting Tent $25 + HST

The Butcher’s Ultimate BBQ Chef Mark Cutrara, Cowbell Restaurant, and Sommelier Jamie Drummond, Good Food Revolution, personalities well known for their sense of humor, present a cooking demonstration/wine tasting combo. Chef Cutrara will show you how to select your meat and share his grilling secrets to cook the perfect steak while Drummond will present a tutored wine tasting to accompany it.
Time 12:30 – 1:30 pm, Chef’s Learning Centre, York Street, $15 + HST, includes wine and BBQ tasting.