Howdy friends,
We are back at the studio after four amazing days in Vancouver, BC at the 2013 BC Food Expo. BC Food Expo thank you! We have so many folks to thank and I have to begin with Samantha Scholefield, Show Manager with the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association. Samantha and her team treated us with such kindness and professionalism and helped our chalk art signs shine all over the place! Samantha is a real treasure in the Hospitality Industry and she had top notch folks volunteering and managing the show. Hats off girl, hats off to all of you for a show well done! I am so sad we don’t have a photo of Samantha because she is a real cutie pie.
We also MUST thank Chef Will Lew and Chefs Clement and Beverly of Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver. Imagine a world class cooking competition like what you would see on The Food Network – a flurry of activity and creativity, knives gleaming, liquid nitrogen pouring, high end, artistic cuisine being prepared for an intense panel of judges and cool-as-a-cucumber composed chef’s under the heavy weight of time pressure. Can you picture all that?
Okay, now picture two sign-makers (who luckily wore their nice clothes that day to sell their signs at a Food Expo) being asked to sit in front of the audience at the chef’s work station and enjoy a three course meal with drink pairings at the competition. Dave and I felt so fortunate to have been invited (Thank you Carmen!) and we enjoyed every single artful bite and sip. Check out the last photo I have included – it’s the menu of what we were served. Mind blowing.
Chef Clement was masterful in every execution and our meal…unbelievable. Seriously. His apprentice, Beverly was totally pro and they made the perfect team. Our server and bartender, Grant, perfectly matched each course with it’s own perfect, cocktail and yes friends, we were hammered in a high class way by 11am. Chef Clement did not win this year, but we think he was robbed. The Fairmont Pacific Rim is very fortunate to have this team of dedicated, highly skilled and creative chefs serving their guests. Plus, they are just really great people!
Big thanks to our creative consultant team of Melissa, Rachel and Stewart for all their help and support and for the perfect place to stay in the big city. We love you guys!
Even though it sounds like being wined and dined was all we did this past weekend, we actually met so many people and preached the gospel of fine chalk art to a highly receptive audience. It was so important to have the ability to shake hands, show off our boards and share stories and laughs with interested industry people. From start to finish, a huge success for us!
We love what we do and we loved meeting the people for whom we create functional art. Now it’s back to work to fill the orders that keep coming in!
Please take a moment to scroll down and see a few of the photos of our amazing weekend.
Until next time,
Mel and Dave
