CAFE: A Return to Hosting Live Events

For over two years the pandemic restricted event promoters from staging live in-person events. As a result, event hosts or emcees like myself were not required or were limited to hosting only virtual events. 

That has changed in the summer of 2022 as many established live events have resumed after a forced hiatus and new events have been created. One such event was the Canadian Artistic Food Expo (CAFÉ), which held its first-ever in-person gathering at West Zwick’s Park in the city of Belleville, Ontario in lovely Prince Edward County, on August 6th. 

I was delighted to be asked to host this new initiative, which showcased many well-known celebrity chefs including Chef Massimo Capra, Chef Luciano Schipano and Chef David Wolfman. The event featured food demonstrations, food vendors, food trucks and entertainment that attracted several hundred visitors from across the province including local dignitaries.

Many thanks to the event promoters, Saffron Hub and the Artists and Artisans Development and Network, both of whom promote and support artists and entrepreneurs in showcasing their work through community activities like the Canadian Artistic Food Expo.

It was an honour to share the stage with so many established and accomplished culinary experts who shared their passion for creating wonderfully unique and delicious recipes.

Two weeks after the in-person gathering, on August 20th, CAFÉ returned as a virtual event, showcasing even more Canadian chefs and culinary businesses in a 2-hour livestream on both the event promoters’ Facebook and YouTube platforms. I was fortunate to be asked to host this virtual event as well, which attracted viewers from across the country.

As someone with a love and passion for Italian cooking in particular and international cuisine in general, I will always make myself available for initiatives that support and promote culinary endeavours.

Thank you to Shirin Mandani and her volunteer team, including my good friend Tony La Ferrara, who provided me with the scripts and made me feel welcome. I was happy to contribute my small part to the overall success of the event. Hope to see everyone again in 2023!