THUNDER BAY -- Sharla Brown had a feeling a local food and drink showcase would tap into a niche in the community.
She didn’t expect it to reach as deep as it did.
The first Savour Superior Food and Drink Festival, which was held this weekend inside the CLE’s Coliseum building far surpassed her expectations. She estimated that at least 2,000 people attended over the course of the two day event, which concluded Saturday night.
“I am mind blown as to how many people have come out to support this event,” Brown said. “I always pictured in my mind what I thought it was going to look like but this is 10 times bigger and better than I could have ever imagined.”
On hand were a wide array of local food vendors and restaurant owners eager to showcase their menus and culinary expertise to the public. In addition, area breweries and provincial wineries and distillers provided a taste of their offerings.
With the city in the midst of a resurgence in local dining establishments, with new ones seeming to open almost every month, Brown said the event was a way to get a number of them under one roof to give the general public a wider exposure.
“It’s something that showcases our local food and drink scene. There are some amazing vendors in here people didn’t know existed,” she said.
Once such restaurant is the Red Lion Smokehouse, which is targeting an open date on Cumberland Street around the end of the month
Owner John Murray said Savour Superior was a great way to put them on the map ahead of their opening.
“It’s a perfect marketing launch for us, exposing ourselves to Thunder Bay,” Murray said. “We’re getting a lot of questions asking when we’re going to be opening.”
Being able to serve so many people in such a quick timeframe allowed the restaurants to either showcase staples of their menus or experiment with new creations.
Red Lion gave samplers a selection of three different takes on the pulled pork sandwich, including the classic as well as two creative and exotic flavours.
The event also provided the different establishments with the opportunity to give culinary demonstrations to the audience, which included quick seminars on local produce and beverage pairings with different meals.