The Winner's Circle November 2008

Quebec chef practises slow food in Italy

BEAUPRÉ, QC—Simon Renaud, executive chef at the Bistro du Château Mont-Sainte-Anne, is the 2008 recipient is the 2008 Grand Prix Restauration de Québec.

With the win, Renaud represented Quebec in Turin, Italy at the Terra Madre and the Salone del Gusto events, organized by Slow Food International, from October 23 to 27.

Thousands of converts to the Slow Food Movement, including cooks, farmers, fishermen, foragers of wild food products, breeders, researchers and consumers from more than 150 countries gathered for talks between food producers and members of the global agri-food industry, with the goal of slowing down the trend of fast food consumption.

Members of the Slow Food Movement believe the food we eat should taste good, should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, and should be socially fair.
Terra Madre participants discussed issues surrounding environmental resources, planetary equilibrium, worker dignity and consumer safety.

Salone del Gusto, which took place at the same time as Terra Madre, addressed ecological and gastro-economic issues worldwide.

Renaud is a founding member of the Côte-de-Beaupré Slow Food Convivium.

King Pacific voted top resort in Canada

PRINCESS ROYAL ISLAND, BC—According to readers of Condé Nast Traveler, King Pacific Lodge, A Rosewood Resort, is the best resort hotel in Canada and the fourth best among all resorts, hotels and cruise lines in the world.

Accessible only by air or boat, King Pacific Lodge is a floating luxury wilderness lodge built using native pine, fir, cedar and stone with just 17 guest-rooms and suites.

“We have paid particular attention to our role in creating social equity and conservation,” said Michael Uehara, president of King Pacific Lodge.

“More and more, the travellers of today want more knowledge, more connection to the places they visit, more authenticity and more opportunities to see a world they could have easily missed.”
Princess Royal Island is located in the Inside Passage 100 km south of Prince Rupert in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, the world’s largest remaining temperate rainforest, home to the rare Spirit Bear.

Over 32,000 Condé Nast readers voted for the winners in the magazine’s 21st Annual Readers’ Choice Awards listed in the November issue.

Opus one of the world’s finest hotels: Forbes

VANCOUVER—Forbes Traveller has selected Opus as one of the best hotels and resorts worldwide.

The luxury hotel is the only one in Vancouver and one of just 10 Canadian hotels selected for the list, which is voted on by a panel of travel experts.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to receive this significant recognition from such a discerning panel of travel elite,” said Nicholas Gandossi, general manager of Opus Vancouver, in a statement.

“It’s good to know we’re hitting the mark, this acknowledgement really serves to underline our intentions and make our commitment even stronger.”

Opus Vancouver (pictured above) is located in the city’s Yaletown neighbourhood.
It has also been recognized as one of the world’s top hotels by readers of Condé Nast Traveler and Travel Leisure magazine.

Opus bar has received the title of Vancouver’s most popular nightspot according to the Zagat Guide.

Pantages Toronto is good for small business

TORONTO – Hotels.ca has nominated the Pantages Hotel Toronto Centre as one of the top 10 hotels for small business travellers.

The website evaluates hotels based on amenities, connectivity and perks for the small business person.

“This recognition by Hotels.ca is a great honour for the Pantages Hotel Toronto Centre,” said David Zaltzman, CEO of Skyline Boutique Hotels and Resorts.

“To be named as one of the top 10 hotels acknowledges that the Pantages Hotel Toronto Centre offers remarkable service. We are very proud to have achieved this recognition, especially as there were only two hotels in Toronto selected.”

Pantages Hotel Toronto Centre offers small business owners valet parking packages, in room catering, swag bag set up and all inclusive Internet, local call and photocopying packages.

Gold Medal Plates winner cooks in Shanghai

TORONTO—Metropolitan Hotels executive chef Patrick Lin, Toronto winner of the recent Gold Medal Plates contest, was in Shanghai, China in late October.

Lin served up a five-course meal at the gala dinner as part of the 2008 Ontario Environmental Mission, led by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
 
The mission’s goal is to promote the province in China with an aim to create jobs, opportunity and prosperity in Ontario.

 More than 150 key business leaders, entrepreneurs and top government officials from Shanghai and surrounding Chinese provinces were expected.

The menu consisted of Shanghai “hairy” crabmeat in spicy watermelon juice with Ontario whisky, drunken squab breast, wild lettuce and bean curd in cabbage and honey glazed river shrimp in baby cucumber cup.

For the appetizer, Lin prepared gratin in-shell Shanghai “hairy” crabmeat, creamy crab roe sauce and Chinese greens.

The entrée was wokked beef tenderloin diced with black peppercorn and crispy garlic, foie gras crème brûlée and Niagara red wine jus.

He wrapped up the meal with Inniskillin Icewine poached pear filled with chilled bird’s nest and raspberries with a mint spear.

Delegates also heard from fellow chefs Susur Lee and David Lee who appeared on video to talk about the province’s ethnic diversity.

Two honours for Crowne Plaza Lord Beaverbrook

FREDERICTON, NB–The Crowne Plaza Lord Beaverbrook Hotel in downtown Fredericton, New Brunswick won two major awards for corporate leadership in October.

The hotel received the Business Excellence Award in the large business category from the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 23. This award recognizes businesses in areas of customer service, industry participation, employer-employee relations, employee growth, aesthetics and community support.

Accepting on behalf of the hotel’s 120-member team, GM Walther Lauffer recalled the situation last spring when the Saint John River overflowed its banks and water flooded the hotel shutting down operations for several days.

“The team at the Lord Beaverbrook worked 24 hours a day to prevent a potential disaster,” Lauffer said. “It struck me odd at the time, but the staff was happy, excited and worked together for a common goal… they deserve the credit for this award,” he added.
The Crowne Plaza in Fredericton was also recognized with an international Quality Excellence Award from InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) earlier in October.

The hotel is owned by Aquilini Investment Group, Vancouver and managed by Pacrim Hospitality Services Inc.

Lone Canadian winner of Spirit of Hampton award

SAINT JOHN, NB—Quick and innovative thinking deserves recognition and the sales manager at the Hampton Inn and Suites hotel in Saint John, NB is proof of that. Rob MacPherson is the sole Canadian among eight international winners to receive a Gold Medal Award in the Spirit of Hampton Recognition Program for 2008.

“Rob MacPherson’s out of the box solution to a customer’s urgent need for meeting space when the hotel’s [space] was unavailable, not only made for a successful training session for the customer, but a great team-building experience for the staff of our new hotel,” said Hampton Inn and Suites GM Glenda MacLean.

“Rob secured a vacant space at a nearby shopping centre, arranged for on-site service and catering from the hotel… and everyone was a winner,” she added.  The ‘Rob-experience’ with service is now included in the hotel’s formal training program for its staff as an example of the WOW Factor.

The Spirit Recognition Program recognizes only 530 employees out of more 150,000 at over 2,600 Hilton Hotels properties worldwide. Eight Hampton employees won the award this year.