FEAST

Ongoing | Product Development

One out of every three international visitors to Canada wants to participate in an Indigenous tourism experience. At the same time, experiential food tourism is being sought out by travellers around the world, making food & beverage a vital component of the visitor journey. In order to meet these parallel demands, Indigenous Tourism Ontario has prepared Feast: Growing Indigenous Food Tourism in Ontario, a strategy to guide Indigenous food tourism development in Ontario.

FEAST culinary partners help us realize our vision: for Indigenous foods and foodways to be integral parts of Ontario’s identity.

INDIGENOUS FOOD TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

ITO has been working with partners to develop FEAST: Growing Indigenous Food Tourism in Ontario, a first of its kind in the world. In 2019, we conducted research and engagement activities to develop a food tourism strategy for Northern Ontario. In early 2020, we repeated the process for Southern Ontario, and in late 2020 we braided the two strategies together, resulting in a 5-year Ontario-wide strategy for growing Indigenous food tourism. Guided by the five pillars: measure, co-create, empower, accelerate, and celebrate, we will work collaboratively with partners to implement the actions outlined in this strategy. Together, we can build on preceding work, harness opportunities, and respond to visitor demand while showcasing diverse Indigenous cultures in Ontario through genuine food moments.

Culinary Stations

ITO has 10 portable culinary stations that allow consumers to follow a chef-led cooking demonstration onsite at any event. These engaging workshops allow Indigenous chefs to showcase their culture through culinary and are a product development piece built into the FEAST Indigenous brand.

Technical Aspects

Mobile, self-contained culinary workstation that includes two collapsible worktables, two induction plates, a convection oven, a refrigerator, and stainless steel sink.

Mobile State: 68” L x 32” D x 40” H (outside dimensions)
Opened State: 16’ L x 29” D x 36” H (with detachable tables)
Weight: 250 lbs.

Refrigeration – 2.7 compact cold fridge.
Built-in induction dual cooktop.
Convection oven.
Stainless steel sink with a fold-up stainless-steel faucet.
Electric bottled water dispensing system with a 5-gallon waste water container.
Top and front pull-off detachable lids/prep tables.
Certified NSF ½” durable laminated kitchen counter surface.
Two pull-up countertop power outlet strips with USB ports.
Aluminum pull-out drawers on 150 lb. glides.
Heavy duty 4” swivel lockable wheels.

Historical Information

These stations were purchased for the ITO All Stars Cup at the Little Native Hockey League tournament in 2023.

Implementation

The stations can be implemented onsite at any ITO or member event. They can also be rented out by members (once a revenue-generating model is in place) as a member benefit.

FEAST Accreditation Program

The FEAST Accreditation Program will provide pathways and resources to Indigenous food tourism businesses aspiring to grow and improve their experiences and market readiness. The program will have both operator-facing and visitor-facing components, and participants will complete a checklist with several criteria that will assist them in providing authentic and meaningful cultural experiences for visitors through amazing and meaningful Indigenous foodways.

FEAST Food Table

Members of the FEAST Culinary Advisory Table will recommend future strategies and directions for expanding and growing authentic indigenous food tourism experiences in Ontario. As Indigenous Tourism Ontario continues to develop the FEAST initiative in an effort to promote indigenous food tourism throughout the province, it has been determined that the oversight and advisory capacity of a group of industry professionals is something that would benefit the program immensely. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our original Indigenous Food Tourism Working Group; Denise Atkinson, Marc Bru, Neil Debassige, Gerry Brandon and Tammy Maki. They have guided our formation and offered wise counsel and the perspective of years of experience working in the food and beverage industry.