Toronto Taste turns 25

Matt Woo from Rodney's Oyster House at the 2014 event.

TORONTO — For a quarter century, the city’s culinary community has thrown its support behind Toronto Taste in support of Second Harvest’s food rescue program.

This year, 50 chefs and 30 beverage purveyors will set up on June 7 at Corus Quay, 25 Dockside Dr., for the event’s 25^th anniversary.

Chef John Higgins, director George Brown College Chef School, was one of the original six restaurant participants when the event was held at the CN Tower in 1991.

“It really was the first event in the city that brought chefs together. It also brought chefs together, but for a good cause,” said Higgins. “Compliments to Second Harvest, everyone has copied the format.” 

Higgins said he’s amazed 25 years have gone by so quickly and can clearly recall that first event.

“I remember Mark McEwan at the time, he’d done something with jicama; I’d never seen jicama in my life,” said Higgins, adding now it’s commonplace. “Then is was something different.”

Over the years, event has raised more than $10.3 million allowing Second Harvest to rescue enough food to provide more than 20 million meals to those in need. “Funds raised at Toronto Taste keep Second Harvest trucks in the road rescuing food and delivering it to social service agencies, feeding people experiencing hunger, every day,” said Second Harvest executive director Debra Lawson, adding the event accounts for 20 per cent of the organization’s fundraising.

Food that would other wise go to waste is recued from grocery stores, manufacturers, distributors, farmers restaurants and hotels and delivery daily to more than 200 agencies. Since 1985, Second Harvest has diverted 100 million pounds of food preventing 50 million pounds of greenhouse gases.