Imagine a journey where you not only taste the food and drinks of a place but also feel the stories, traditions, and warmth of the people who create them. This is what ‘taste of place’ is all about. It’s about those unforgettable moments that make you truly understand the heart and soul of a specific area’s culinary culture.
When we talk about ‘taste of place,’ we’re not referring to just the flavors and ingredients; it’s much more. It’s the blend of nature, the tangible things like the local produce, and the intangible elements like the genuine hospitality that shape the experience of food and drink in a region.
But here’s the magic: There’s no one-size-fits-all ‘taste of place’ for a region. Instead, think of each destination as a colorful tapestry of flavors and experiences, each unique and woven together to create a beautiful and distinct ‘taste of place.’ So, when you savor the food and drinks of a region, you’re also immersing yourself in its history, traditions, and the heartwarming welcome of its people. It’s a journey that goes beyond the palate, making every bite and sip a memorable story of its own.
A partnership established in 2023 between the Culinary Tourism Alliance and George Brown College resulted in the birth of the Taste of Place Summit. The Summit is an annual event that takes place in different locations across Canada every year to showcase our unique tastes and emerging industry talent to delegates who come from across the country and around the globe. The 2025 Summit is taking place in partnership with Destination Markham, in Markham, Ontario.
This Summit brings together people who work on making destinations more exciting for visitors, like destination developers, tourism managers and marketers, business operators, and students. They come to learn why and how to put their community’s food and drink culture at the front and centre of their destination. It’s all about making tourism and local businesses better through food.
We all share a common goal: to give places and businesses the tools they need to create special and lasting culinary and agritourism experiences. We want to make sure that these experiences are not just fun for visitors but also good for the places and the people who live there.
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