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Future culinary leaders compete in egg-citing virtual competition

Canada’s culinary community is a tight-knit group of closely connected partners who focus on fostering budding talent within the industry. As an all-round culinary supporter, Egg Farmers of Canada is proud to play a role in helping cultivate this talent by educating and inspiring the next generation of chefs. For instance, over the past 2 years, Egg Farmers of Canada has co-hosted Farm to Table: A Virtual Culinary Challenge, in partnership with George Brown College Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts. This year, this virtual culinary challenge expanded to include Nova Scotia, giving student chefs from Nova Scotia Community College’s school of Culinary Management, Culinary Skills and Baking and Pastry programs the opportunity to showcase their own unique egg-ceptional recipes while learning about the strong connection between Canadian egg farmers and the culinary community.

Canadian chef Lynn Crawford is one of Egg Farmers of Canada’s chef ambassadors and served as a judge during Farm to Table: A Virtual Culinary Challenge.

On hand to answer the students questions about eggs and egg farming throughout the competition was second-generation Nova Scotia egg farmer Jill Thomas who gave everyone a flavour for the passion and commitment that goes into producing fresh, local, high-quality eggs year-round for all sorts of culinary creations.

The competition was fierce, concluding with a finalist round that saw six aspiring chefs create their own refined signature egg dish and deliver on a fried egg cooking technique challenge. The celebrity judges included Egg Farmers of Canada chef ambassadors Chef Dale MacKay, Chef Lynn Crawford and Chef Craig Flinn. By all accounts, the students’ dishes – evaluated based on creativity, design, balance of flavours, technique, timing and preparation – were egg-cellent!

Competition participant, Tsubaki Onishi showing off her Tamaga Dofu, a steamed savory custard. 

When asked about the “competition experience”, first place winner, Tsubaki Onishi said that she was grateful for the opportunity to share her favourite dish with the judges and for the chance to speak with a Canadian egg farmer directly. “I enjoyed learning from Jill throughout the competition, and was really excited to learn that the eggs I purchase at the grocery store are always locally produced.” 

We are always proud to step up to the plate in support of Canada’s vibrant culinary community and look forward to following these student chefs throughout their careers in the kitchen and beyond.