The 2011 Similkameen Barbeque King competition took place at the Grist Mill on Saturday, July 16.
Eight chefs vied for the title of Similkameen Barbeque King or Queen through a competition that had each chef receive an identical basket of locally sourced ingredients from which they were given an allotted time to create the best culinary entry.
The eight participating chefs were:
Chef Edison Antejos from Delta Grand Okanagan Resort in Kelowna, Chef Malcolm Gibb from Manteo Resort in Kelowna, Chef Abul Adame from Terra Caliente in Penticton, Chef Greg Fuchs from Gregors Gourmet in Keremeos, Chef Chris Van Hooydonk from the Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl in Oliver, Chef Natasha Schooten from Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos, Chef Chris Remington from the Hooded Merganser in the Penticton Lakeside Resort in Penticton and local celebrity Chef Dave Mutch from Cerelia in Keremeos
Each chef was paired with a winery from the Similkameen Wineries Association. The eight incredibly decadent meals created by the chefs were very different from each other.
After preparing each of the chef’s culinary creations, each guest was able to cast their vote for their favourite chef. Ultimately Chef Chris Van Hooydonk, the Executive Chef from the Sonora Room at the Burrowing Owl was named the 2011 Similkameen BBQ King.
The media selected their favourite food and wine pairing, and awarded Chef Chris Remington from the Hooded Merganser in the Penticton Lakeside Resort and Forbidden Fruit Winery as the winning pairing. The paired wine was Earth Series SauVidal, which is the perfect union between Sauvignon Blanc and Vidal grape varietals and made from 100 per cent certified organic grapes. This wine is crisp, with aromas and flavours of luscious pineapple, apricot and fall apples. The clean smooth finish lingers long on the palate, leaving a refreshing acidity noted with tropical fruit. This wine helps raise funds for sustainability on earth initiatives.
The event was very well attended with just under 150 people at the historic Grist Mill. The event was a partial fundraiser for the historic site.