Neither sleet nor snow could keep people away from the two-day
Eat the Hill culinary festival in Clarenville Jan. 23-24.
Eat the Hill, which incorporates winter activities, entertainment and food,
is organized by Chris Sheppard, instructor at College of the North Atlantic (CNA) and executive chef for the Bonavista Institute for Cultural Tourism. The event welcomed some of the province’s top chefs for two days of amazing food paired with Clarenville's best winter activities at White Hills Resort.
On Friday evening participants were treated to the Culinary Coffee house, which offered a selection of desserts prepared by four of the province’s best pastry chefs including, Charlene Fowler of Coffee Matters, Kara Lackie of Fogo Island Inn, Courtney Ralph of the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland and Brent Smith of Newfoundland Chocolate Company – all while listening to the smooth sounds of local band Dissit, and duo Craig Young and Leeland Wareham.
On Saturday, guests had the option to enjoy the slopes with a full day pass for White Hills. ?The evening began with the Iceberg Reception which was followed by another reception where seven of the province’s top chefs served a seven-course meal, followed by entertainment from Sherman Downey & The Ambiguous Case.
“It went really well,” said Chef Sheppard. “We had a great time on Friday night with lots of desserts, chocolate and entertainment. Saturday night was pretty amazing and all of the chefs who prepared food for Friday night stayed and helped out on Saturday as well.”
He feels the chefs support these events because it provides them with the chance to interact with other chefs and stay on top of what’s happening in their industry.
“Unlike a lot of other industries, (chefs) don’t have opportunities to go to a lot of workshops or conferences where you see your colleagues, so that’s what this kind-of is. That’s why a lot of the chefs like to come – to get together and to catch up about what’s going on in different areas of the province in terms of the culinary scene.”
CNA has been involved with
Eat the Hill since the event began three years ago and Chef Sheppard says they couldn’t have pulled it off without that involvement.
“I don’t think people realize the significant investment CNA makes in things outside of its own facilities. Look at an event like this, with the economic impact it has had in the region for people coming and staying in Clarenville for the weekend. And the promotional side where we’ve really had to promote a non-profit facility like White Hills, which doesn’t have the revenue to support itself. Without the college’s help we wouldn’t be able to do that stuff.”
CNA instructional assistant, Roger Dewling has also been lending a hand each year – organizing volunteers and coordinating with the chefs for the event. He was one of the seven chefs who prepared a plate for the seven-course meal on Saturday evening.
Culinary students from CNA also got in on the action throughout the weekend, from cleaning and serving to assisting the chefs to plate their food. Five cooking students from the Bonavista campus and one student from Prince Philip Drive campus volunteered at the event and Chef Sheppard says it gives them crucial contacts within the industry.
“That’s how you build a career – by meeting key players in the industry,” he said. “We have some of the best chefs in the province at this event and for the students to have access to those people to prove they are hard workers, and dedicated and interested in cooking, it goes a long way to their future in the industry to be able to have those connections early on. The students last year who met those chefs were offered jobs and they learned a ton of stuff.”
John Abbott of Bonavista says it was a great event and an important learning experience.
“Most schools wouldn’t get the experience that we get outside of the classroom. It was great working with the other chefs from all around the province. We were working and doing everything – dishes, serving, helping the chefs set things up and helping them cook some of their foods.”
This isn’t the first time these particular students have been involved with community events. They took part in the
Roots, Rants and Roars festival in 2014, but John feels you take away something different from each event.
“You learn from different chefs and meet different chefs from all over the province, so it’s very important for my career. Between the learning experience and being out in the real word, it’s also the contacts you get from the other chefs. You need those contacts in this line of work. And the work experience too - the actual experience working on the line, having to be on time, dealing with the public and making sure everything is done properly.”
Sheila Porter, also of Bonavista, reflected on her weekend experience.
“It was a fantastic event – we had a real good learning experience,” she said. “There are a lot of things you learn in the classroom but there are also a lot of things you can’t learn in a classroom.
Eat the Hill is the real world so it’s one of the places you learn those things. You don’t have customers in a classroom. At these events you have all those people, a time limit and you have to get things out on time. A lot of people don’t realize how participating at these events prepares you.”
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Media Contact:
Glenda McCarthy
Public Relations Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca