The new convention centre, under construction since 2009, will open in April.
Ottawa foodies say the plan to serve a local menu at the new Ottawa Convention Centre won’t work because there aren’t enough locally-raised ingredients available to feed thousands of convention-goers on a regular basis.
“It’s absolutely a concern if they’re planning on doing large conferences,” says Heather Hossie, co-ordinator of Savour Ottawa, a service that links Ottawa restaurants with local farmers.
“There just isn’t the volume, currently, to sustain that.”
But the convention centre’s executive chef, Geoffrey Morden, says he’s determined to serve local food.
Morden says he wants to source 40 per cent of his ingredients from the Ottawa area once his kitchen opens with the rest of the newly-renovated convention centre in April. Between 90 and 95 per cent of his ingredients will be Canadian-raised.
“I definitely need to do my homework so that I can find that 40 per cent,” says Morden.
The convention centre’s 1,200-square-metre kitchen can put out food for up to 10,000 guests, says Morden.
Other chefs who use fresh local ingredients say Morden will need to juggle agreements with hundreds of farmers to get so much local food onto his cutting board.
“I don’t know how many farmers can keep up with that kind of demand,” says Michael Hay, the executive chef at Courtyard Restaurant, which serves gourmet food with a local focus.
Quality seasonal vegetables and crisp salad greens can be found growing in the Ottawa area, agree Hossie and Hay.
But finding locally-raised meat for gourmet dishes like the convention centre’s $66 Thornbury beef tenderloin medallion will be a big problem, says Hossie.
To feed 3,000 people a prime cut of beef, she says, 1,500 cows must be slaughtered.
“For many local farmers, that would wipe them out in terms of their stock,” she says.
“There are very few farmers that would be willing or able to do this. They have to sell the rest of the animal too.”
Courtyard Restaurant seats 240 people in the full swing of summer and Ottawa-area chicken farmers are unable to meet the restaurant’s demand for poultry, says Hay.
The solution, says Hossie, is to be creative. Chefs should find ways to dress up less desirable cuts, like ground beef, instead of just serving prime cuts.
“If you let people know why you’re serving them a cheaper cut of meat instead of a prime steak, they won’t be bothered by it,” says Hossie.
There are other concerns.
“If they were using local food only, it would get too expensive,” says Kavita Murthy, a director at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission who often attends conventions for her work.
Finding vegetarian food is her main concern at conventions, says Murthy.
And a lot of traditional Canadian food, like what the convention centre aims to serve, is centered on meat.
Despite the challenge of finding locally-produced food, Hay is applauding Morden’s efforts. It’s crucial for chefs to start re-establishing a Canadian culinary culture, he says.
“These convention centre places are known for steam tables filled with potatoes and boiled beef,” says Hay. “People will definitely be shocked in a good way by something more exciting.”
Any time a restaurant buys from a local farmer, it’s a good thing, says Hossie.
“When they start with what’s manageable for both of them, it’s really a beautiful thing because they grow together.”