Join Letchworth Gateway Villages and the Culinary Tourism Alliance for Celebrating our Taste of Place, an industry forum on growing food tourism in the Genesee Valley. Local food industry professionals -- chefs, farmers, restaurateurs, food producers, and more -- are invited to gather and learn how to accelerate the region’s potential as a rural food destination with both international and local leaders in the farm-to-table movement.
Tickets are $17 and can be purchased online at Eventbrite. The registration deadline is Tuesday, October 15th.
Schedule Overview
8:30 - 9:00 am // Registration
9:00 am - 12:00 pm // Forum
12:00 - 1:00 pm // Lunch
1:00 - 2:30 pm // Field Experience
FORUM HIGHLIGHTS
Chef Eric Boyar, SixThirtyNine
Keynote: Chef Eric Boyar, SixThirtyNine Restaurant
Headlining the forum is Eric Boyar, chef at SixThirtyNine, a farm-to-table restaurant in rural Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. Chef Boyar is acclaimed for his commitment to sourcing local ingredients and creating seasonal menus that illustrate how local producers and restaurants can work together to create memorable dining experiences that draw people to rural areas.
Panel Discussion: Farm Table Talk
Attendees will also hear from local food innovators Elise Barnard of OSB Ciderworks, Jacquie Billings of Ration Wine Bar and the Hole in the Wall Restaurant and Lounge, and Maureen Wheeler, Deputy Director at Livingston County Development, on how the region is defining itself through food and the challenges and opportunities involved in growing this aspect of our local economy.
Lunch: Defining our Taste of Place
Guests will be treated to a special chef collaboration featuring some of our area’s leaders in farm-to-table cuisine:
Travis Barlow (the Hole in the Wall Restaurant and Lounge, Ration Wine Bar)
Brian Simmons (the Yard of Ale)
Sean Wolf and Andy Zalar (formerly Farmer’s Creekside Tavern & Inn)
Lori Houser (the Genesee Country Village & Museum)
Deanna Berkemeier (the Genesee Country Village & Museum)
GCV&M Annual Hop Harvest
Crafting Meaningful Food and Taste Experiences
Following the forum and lunch, guests will have the option to participate in a one hour field experience with the Genesee Country Village and Museum to learn how they use food and taste experiences to provide meaningful visits for their customers. Guests will be treated to a variety of tastings in the Historic Village including Museum-made pretzel bites with their own honey mustard sauce plus small steak and cocoa porter hand pies. Guests will also be able to sample a peach shrub made with peaches from the Museum’s orchards, preserved carrots in brandy, Mrs. Fitzhugh’s buns, and GCV&M’s own 1803 Fat Ox and Intrepid Ales.