What are the benefits of taking part in food festivals?

Few things are more exciting for diners than themed foodie events. La Poutine Week and Le Cheeseburger Week have been around for years, challenging Canadian eateries to flaunt creative recipes. Last year, 500 restaurants across the country participated in La Poutine Week feeding 240,000 hungry customers.

Chef Scott Brown

Should you be one of them? Is it worth signing up if the themed food isn’t usually on your menu? Chef Brown says absolutely!

What’s in it for your business?

Get publicity. The event’s social media pages and website will showcase your dish, local blogs/newspapers will write about the event, customers will post pictures of the food they taste and you will have the opportunity to promote yourself online. All of these channels will allow you to reach a larger audience than you could on your own, which could lead to more customers ordering your food.

Create social media content. Foodie events are a great opportunity to create engaging content. Take pictures of staff brainstorming ideas, create polls to get diners’ opinions, snap pictures of your themed recipe, share the story behind it, highlight reviews from diners who tried your creation – the list goes on! 28% of consumers say they have ordered a dish after seeing it on Instagram1, don’t let this opportunity slip away!

Test new menu ideas. A new dish on the menu is the most interesting type of promotional item for the consumers2, and participants are already expecting to enjoy out-of-the-box dishes. Classic items like burgers and poutines are the perfect canvas for experimentation. Get creative and visit our inspiration page!

Boost team morale. Get the whole team on board by organizing an in-house recipe contest – get your junior cooks involved in making a few different themed dishes, and have the front-of-house staff judge each one. Never miss an opportunity to enjoy a fun team activity!

Grow your sales. “[Poutine Week] is the best marketing investment we make every year! We make more sales in that one week than the whole month before!” - David Betito, from Paulo & Suzanne

Should you participate even if you don't think you'll win?

According to Chef Brown, winning is nothing more than an added bonus! Themed foodie events are about trying new things, having fun, and showcasing your skills and passion. As long as you can get creative with the theme and stay true to your brand, you’re the perfect candidate.

Keep in mind, just because you participate in Poutine Week doesn’t mean you have to add poutine to your menu forever! You can capitalize on the fact that it’s a limited-time offering, and use that to create a buzz.

What makes for the perfect themed dish?

Chef Brown recommends creating a recipe that’s seasonally relevant, crave-able, memorable, and exceeds expectations. Make it unique but also approachable, so you don’t intimidate less adventurous diners.

He also suggests choosing your cheeses carefully. Decide whether you want contrasting or complementary flavours when creating your pairings: combining a nutty cheese like Friulano with bacon would be a complementary and comforting duo, while a sharp cheese like extra old Cheddar with spicy ingredients would create contrast.

You can even mix cheeses to create complex texture and flavour profiles, as long as they don’t compete with each other. Consider combining a milder cheese that melts, stretches, or squeaks with a variety that’s sharp, tangy, smoky, sweet, or bold. Check out our cheeses to get your creative juices flowing, and reach out to your Saputo Foodservice representative for any questions.

Once you’ve chosen your ingredients, consider your dish’s presentation. Publicity is your main goal, and if you want people to snap pictures of your food, it will need to look appealing. You can even go the extra mile and make it a real “experience” by creating a signature drink or specialty dessert to go with your dish.

Since this year’s events might be takeout-centric, you’ll need to create a delivery-ready dish. For poutine, that could mean providing sauce and cheese on the side so the poutine doesn’t get soggy – pre-portioned cheese curds would be perfect for this.

At the end of the day, foodie events are about engaging with your customers, experimenting freely, and giving your team a renewed sense of passion and excitement. Make sure to keep your eye on opportunities like La Poutine Week (February 1 to 7) to promote your restaurant.

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