Fresh Media president Melody Dover (from left), executive chef at The Old Triangle, Kent Wilson, Sidney Annema with KJL Select Meats, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Alan McIsaac, and chairman of the P.E.I. Hog Board, Paul Larsen, celebrate the launch of this year's Porktoberfest.
The Oct. 1 to 31 campaign will include 20 Island restaurants serving pork burgers, bratwurst, pulled pork, sausages, pork tenderloin, ribs, bellies, schnitzel, chops, and pork loins. Islanders, who try each one-of-a-kind dish, can vote online for their favourite, with every vote offering a chance to win prizes.
“Porktoberfest is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our high-quality food products and the Islanders who produce them, along with the great culinary experiences found in our Island restaurants,” said Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Alan McIsaac.
This year, select local markets will offer weekly promotions to encourage Islanders to serve P.E.I. pork at home. Markets have selected one pork product as their featured weekly special with such cuts as picnic hams, sirloin chops, capicolla, and “shrinkless” bacon.
The 5th annual P.E.I. Porktoberfest was created by Fresh Media and presented in partnership with Prince Edward Island Hog Producers, the province’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Hometown Pork.
Versatile pork
“One of the things we’ve always focused on with P.E.I. Porktoberfest was marketing the versatility of pork,” said Melody Dover, president of Fresh Media, the agency that owns Porktoberfest. “Islanders will instantly see that in the hands of our talented local chefs, P.E.I. pork can be served up in so many unique and tasty ways.”
The P.E.I. Porktoberfest website (www.peiporktoberfest.ca) features profiles of Island hog farmers, and includes cooking tips, recipes, and nutritional information to further encourage Islanders to get cooking with local pork.
"The Prince Edward Island hog industry is pleased this year’s Porktoberfest campaign offers the public a broader range of culinary creations, from our restaurant partners using pork as the centrepiece of each dish, to our provincial meat shops highlighting weekly features of local pork," said Tim Seeber, manager of the P.E.I. Hog Commodity Board.
“Porktoberfest helps shine a spotlight on our hardworking farmers and processors.”
