National Chowder Chowdown Festival Happening This Month

I am honoured to be one of the Ambassadors for this chowder chowdown festival where dozens of restaurants and retailers across BC and the rest of Canada are taking part of the inaugural National Chowder Chowdown Festival!

1931 Bistro at Vancouver Art Gallery — Bistro Chowder

The festival runs February 1 to 28 with chowders available for take out, delivery, or dine in (where safe) at restaurants across Canada: from Victoria, BC to Summerville, Nova Scotia. Part-proceeds of each chowder sold support Ocean Wise’s not-for-profit sustainable seafood program.

During this festival I will be will be tasting a selection of chowder’s from some of the Vancouver area restaurants, watch for these on my instagram @vanfoodster

“By purchasing chowder this February you’ll not only be supporting the Ocean Wise Seafood program, you’ll also be supporting your local restaurants, chefs, hospitality staff, fishers and suppliers during what has been an incredibly difficult year for the industry,” said Sophika Kostyniuk, director of fisheries and seafood at Ocean Wise Conservation Association.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Chowder Chowdown without a few heaping tablespoons of competition. Restaurants will compete for the following awards during the festival:

Best Use of Restorative Species – Any chowder that utilizes species lower in the food chain (such as shellfish and seaweeds) will be eligible to win this coveted title!

Most Likes and Comments – The participant with the most online engagement via ‘likes’ and comments will win! Be sure to tag @OceanWiseSeafood and #ChowderChowdown2021.

Best Chowder Title – Selected by judges from Daily Hive.

Best Chowder Photo – Selected by judges from Daily Hive.

Chowder Chowdown Fundraising Champion – Recognizing the participants who raise the most funds for the Ocean Wise Seafood program. Two awards will be given, one for Western Canada and one for Eastern Canada.

Ocean Wise Seafood is a not-for-profit program consisting of scientists and account managers across Canada who analyse the most current data on thousands of seafood options and work with restaurants, seafood suppliers and grocery stores to communicate recommendations and monthly updates on the changing science. Ocean Wise’s recommendations are not only based on assessment of the specie itself, but also the fishery’s impact on the surrounding environment, other species, and how well it is managed.

Overfishing is one of the greatest threats to our world’s oceans with grave impacts on the food web and the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. By simply changing the seafood we eat, we can help curb the impacts of overfishing and allow the oceans to recover.

By: Richard Wolak

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