A Taste of Devour! in Toronto

In partnership with George Brown College Chefs School, and in celebration of an award they bestowed upon us in 2017 as a Canadian Treasure, we’re making a delicious summer stopover in Toronto with a special public preview of the upcoming 2018 program. Join us for a five-course dinner featuring Devour! Alumni chefs and friends who will create dishes inspired by short films from the upcoming official 2018 Devour! The Food Film Fest program. We will screen five short films throughout the evening in between courses with time for the chefs to introduce their dishes and Devour! organizers to talk about the films & festival.

Participating Chefs: Jason Bangerter, Michael Blackie, Charlotte Langley, Peter Dewar, John Higgins, Glenn White & Michael Howell

Short films & menu coming soon!

Peter Dewar (NSCC, Nova Scotia)
Peter started his culinary career at The Culinary Institute of Canada in Prince Edward Island. After graduation, he moved to Bern, Switzerland, for a two-year apprenticeship. In 2012, he was a core member of Culinary Team Canada that won gold at the World Culinary Olympics in Erfurt Germany. Peter is now an instructor of Culinary Arts at NSCC in Kentville Nova Scotia, and a member of Culinary Team Nova Scotia. He also owns and operates Bespoke Culinary, a consulting company which offers catering, kitchen design, and product development services.

Michael Howell (Devour! Food Film Fest, Nova Scotia & Green Turtle Club, Bahamas)
Michael Howell is the founder and Executive Director of Devour! The Food Film Fest in Nova Scotia, Canada. He hosts culinary excursions to Italy through Tempestuous Culinary and is currently the consulting Executive Chef at The Green Turtle Club and Marina in Abaco, Bahamas. Deeply committed to Slow Food and global food literacy, Michael was named a winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2011 for his contributions to improving the food system for all. He was also Nova Scotia Local Food Hero in 2010 and named Taste of Nova Scotia’s Culinary Ambassador in 2015.

Jason Bangerter (Langdon Hall, Cambridge)
Chef Bangerter’s unbridled passion for excellence is fueled by his dedication to supporting and developing sources for sustainable, responsibly produced ingredients. He has successfully crafted a talented team that shares his philosophy and vision. Living by example, he is equally proud of his role as an innovator and a mentor, continuing to have a profound effect on Canada’s culinary scene. Jason is Executive Chef at Langdon Hall, the only restaurant in Ontario to be awarded the AAA/CAA Five-Diamond rating.

Michael Blackie (NeXT, Ottawa)
Born in Leicestershire, England, and raised in Montreal, Michael has been cooking for over 30 years on three continents. He’s worked at some of the world’s finest hotels including the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto and the Oberoi in Bali. In 2013, Michael developed and opened his first signature food & beverage operation in the west end of Ottawa called “NeXT”, which was quickly recognized for its innovative cuisine along with its sharing dining menu concept that has consistently maintained it as one of the top signature restaurants in the greater Ottawa region.

Charlotte Langley (Scout Canning, Toronto)
10 years of honing her expertise working with and elevating seafood at some of Canada’s most notable restaurants have led to Charlotte Langley creating Canada’s first fresh canned seafood company, Scout Canning. Since then she has expanded her repertoire with Scout Events, the Bibs and Bubbs event series, judging culinary competitions (PEI Shellfish Festival,Boston Seafood Expo North America), being featured on TV and in multiple print articles (Breakfast Television Toronto, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Life, City Bites, The Journal Pioneer), participating in speaking panels (Terroir Symposium,Restaurants Canada Show, The Walrus), and in 2017 becoming Ambassador for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

Glenn White (George Brown College Chef School, Toronto)
As a full-time professor and culinary instructor at George Brown College’s Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, Glenn is involved as course lead on Theory of Foods I & II, curriculum development, and as a team leader in the participation of students with Devour! The Food Film Fest. Glenn is currently working towards his Masters in Environmental Studies at York University, with a focus on the chef’s role in Canada’s newly evolving food policy.

John Higgins (George Brown College Chef School, Toronto)
Our Host Chef John Higgins has cooked for the Queen at Buckingham Palace, on the Royal Yacht Britannia, for heads of state in Washington, and for celebrities around the world. Now, he is the director of the George Brown College Chef School in Toronto. He has travelled the world from India to Italy to Sao Paulo, promoting Canadian cuisine. His television appearances include Food Network’s At the Table With…, Top Chef Canada, and Chopped Canada. Recently, he has been awarded the Glenfiddich Award for Chef of the Year by Trillium Chefs Canadaand the Gold Award for Educator by the Ontario Hostelry Institute (OHI).