On a warm evening in June, 48 Toronto chefs showcased their immense talents at the 30th anniversary of Toronto Taste. This unique charitable culinary extravaganza was filled with fine food and drink, celebrities and live music.
Most importantly, more than one million dollars – the equivalent of 2,067,467 meals – was raised to support food rescue and to help fight food insecurity in Canada. It was truly a night to remember!
Enticing smells wafted through the air as renowned chefs such as Daniele Corona of Don Alfonso 1890, Nuit Regular of Pai, Andy Page of Tomyum Restaurant and Wine Bar and Craig Wong of Patois, prepared signature dishes. Chef celebrity Bob Blumer and TV cooking show celebrity Bianca Osbourne, brought their dynamic energy and knowledge of food to the stage as the evening’s co-hosts.
Attendees watched as three chefs competed against each other to create the best tasting and lowest-waste dish in an exciting 30-minute Chefs’ challenge. April Julian, from Netflix’s Is it Cake, wowed the crowd as she displayed her incredible decorating skills and had guests guessing which food item was actually cake. Bob Blumer and Bianca Osbourne then led a live auction for Feed the Need donations which helped raise money for families in need.
For 25 years, The Daniels Corporation has been an essential part of the fight against hunger in the city of Toronto as Presenting Sponsor of Toronto Taste. 2022 was a very special year for Toronto Taste as not only was it the 30th anniversary, but also was the first time the event was being held after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
“The best part of Toronto Taste is knowing the impact of raising funds to help feed families experiencing hunger. The event was also a wonderful opportunity to sample the best that Toronto’s chefs offer and gather with people we haven’t seen in a long time,” explains Don Pugh, Partner at The Daniels Corporation.
Each year at Toronto Taste, restaurants and chefs create signature dishes in the form of small ‘bites’ for attendees. Guests enjoyed dishes such as Saffron Risotto with Bone Marrow, Steamed Kusshi Oysters and Humba Pork Belly Skewers, among many other mouth-watering offerings. And of course a wide selection of beer, wine, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks from 23 separate beverage purveyors.
“This year we celebrated the 30th anniversary of Toronto Taste, a night made possible as a result of an amazing 25-year partnership with our incredible presenting sponsor The Daniels Corporation,” explains Lori Nikkel, Second Harvest CEO. “We are thrilled by the results. Over one million dollars was raised, enabling us to provide over two million healthy meals for families. I’m humbled by the commitment of the Toronto restaurant community, as well as our amazing sponsors, the 250 volunteers and of course, by our incredible guests who together made this year’s Toronto Taste a magical night we will always remember!”
Toronto Taste exemplifies generosity and community spirit, with chefs, restaurants and beverage purveyors donating their time, talent, staff and food for this event. Considering the difficulties faced by the restaurant industry during the COVD-19 pandemic, this was no small gesture. See the complete list of participating chefs and restaurants.
The 2022 event was held at Evergreen Brick Works, a 19th century industrial space located in a lush valley in central Toronto. Guests mingled with chefs, bid on fine wines and exclusive items in an epic silent auction, entered a raffle to win one of six incredible prizes – including an all-inclusive trip to the O2 Beach Club & Spa in Barbados – and created share-worthy memories with photo backdrops placed throughout the event. In addition, all cash donations made during Toronto Taste were matched by IA Financial, up to $50,000.
Floral arrangements around the entire event space were all graciously donated by local florists, including Anixis Darling Floral Studio, The Colour Field, Bayview Blossoms, Black-Eyed Susan’s, Earthwork Floral Design, Hofland Flowers, Quince Flowers, and Wild North Flowers.
Second Harvest is grateful for the continued commitment of our partners to Second Harvest’s mission of tackling food loss and waste and protecting our planet as we innovate and collaborate with our partners to achieve our vision of No Waste, No Hunger.
