Local restaurateurs, producers and farmers are invited to participate in a new initiative to promote local food offerings in preparation for the 2014 Acadian Congress.
A committee comprised of the Northern Maine Development Commission, the Edmundston Tourism Office and Tourisme Témiscouata of Quebec has developed a project to develop regional culinary offerings.
Restaurant owners wanting to showcase more local items, and producers and farmers wishing to have their products recognized and more widely distributed, are the focus of this new initiative.
With the help of Alain Bossé, the Kilted Chef (www.kiltedchef.ca), who is originally from the Edmundston region, the committee hopes to develop a gourmet tour of Acadia of the Lands and Forests to promote local products.
The group also wants to encourage restaurants to highlight different invited countries by showcasing various types of cuisines.
Thanks to a partnership with the New Brunswick Community College, menus and training will be available to participating restaurants.
The 2014 Acadian Congress will be held in the region from August 8-24, 2014.
The Congress area includes three regions: northern Aroostook County, southwestern Quebec and northwest New Brunswick.
Some 50,000 visitors are expected to attend the many historic, cultural and economic events. This is expected to have a huge impact on the local dining establishments.
Training was recently offered by Bossé to present unique dining experiences or to develop new projects at the World Acadian Congress office in Madawaska.
For more information, contact Mylène Violette at (506) 737-6928, (866) 737-6766 or by e-mail at mylene@otem.ca.
