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Top Okanagan Chefs To Gather For July 11th Similkameen BBQ King Competition

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The GOODS from the Similkameen Wineries Association

Keremeos, BC | Ladies and gentlemen, start your grills! The Similkameen is about to name a new Similkameen BBQ King! The annual Similkameen BBQ King event will be held on Saturday, July 11th from 5-9pm at the historic Grist Mill & Gardens in Keremeos. This truly unique Similkameen wine and food experience is a competition where featured chefs from the Okanagan and Similkameen compete for the coveted title of Similkameen BBQ King or Queen.

Caroline Cottrill, President of the Similkameen Wineries Association explained, “We invite you to enjoy an extraordinary evening with award-winning Similkameen wines and ciders and the distinguished chefs who are vying for the title of Similkameen BBQ King 2015. This truly unique Similkameen wine and food experience is a competition where our featured chefs will create unique dishes for you using organic ingredients from local farmers in the heart of Canada’s organic capital. Each chef receives an identical basket of ingredients, yet each chef prepares those ingredients into remarkably different dishes.”

The first hour of the event, from 5-6pm, will feature tastings from our Similkameen wineries and cidery. And then the competition will begin at 6pm! Cottrill continued, “This year, we wanted to really showcase our local restaurants as well, so we added a second competition – a small bites competition. Each local chef competing in our small bites competition will also have a winery or cidery paired with them.”

Similkameen BBQ King competing chefs are:

• Chris Boehm, Burger 55
• Aden Clarke, Private Chef
• Kevin Cooper, The Patio at NK’Mip Cellars
• Jacob Gunn, Wrong Turn Tavern
• Shayna Merritt, Shayna & Shulman Culinary Adventures
• Natasha Schooten, The Grist Mill
• Adair Scott, Watermark Beach Resort
• Jeff Van Geest, Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek

Small bites competing chefs are:

• Rick from Benja Thai
• Karl from the Branding Iron
• Andrew from Tree to Me

After you enjoy each dish, you will get the opportunity to cast your vote for the best wine and food pairing of the night for both the Similkameen BBQ King competing chefs and the small bites competing chefs!

The event will feature two live entertainment areas. The main entertainment will be John Rousseau and Paul Henbury from The River Line. Hailing from Summerland, John and Paul play all original music. There will also be a second entertainment stage this year featuring local entertainers They Them Theirs and Wild Organic Humans.

“We have made some other great changes this year too. Something Blue Photography will be at the event with a fun photo booth featuring chef hats, BBQ gear and historic clothing from the Grist Mill so that our guests can create a special memory of the evening. We are also excited to feature the addition of local art at our Similkameen BBQ King. Our local Similkameen-based artists and members of the South Similkameen Arts Society add so much flavour and culture to our region and we are excited that a number of artists will have their art on display in a Similkameen art walk at the Grist Mill. Prepare to be amazed at their fabulous original creations,” remarked Cottrill.

There will also be a silent auction that is a partial fundraiser for the Grist Mill, which is a Heritage BC site. Cottrill expanded, “We are starting to get in some absolutely amazing prizes for our silent auction. We are thrilled to help raise funds and awareness for this beautiful facility in Keremeos.”

Tickets are $90 and can be purchased at any of our member wineries, at the Keremeos Visitor Centre, the Grist Mill, Tree to Me or online at www.SimilkameenWine.com/events. Complimentary shuttles are available from throughout the Okanagan/Similkameen. Keremeos Taxi has also been hired to do continuous taxi runs to get local guests home safely.

A beautiful sunny day, 11 amazing chefs, award-winning wines and ciders from the members of the Similkameen Wineries Association, live entertainment, a fun photo booth, an art walk, a gorgeous venue and a silent auction with fantastic prizes. Sounds like a delightful way to spend a beautiful Similkameen summer evening.

The Similkameen is one of the hot spots for grape and fruit wine and cider in British Columbia, Canada. It was named by enRoute Magazine as one of the world’s 5 Best Wine Regions You’ve Never Heard Of! The Similkameen Wineries Association is a collective of 11 wineries and a cidery located in Cawston and Keremeos in the Similkameen Valley including Cerelia, Clos du Soleil, Corcelettes, EauVivre, Forbidden Fruit, Hugging Tree, Orofino, Robin Ridge, Rustic Roots, Sage Bush, Seven Stones and Twisted Hills Craft Cider. For more information on the Similkameen Wineries Association or any of its fine award-winning wineries and cidery, visit www.SimilkameenWine.com, call 250.488.0878 or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Details

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Similkameen Wineries Association
PO Box 246 | Keremeos, BC | V0X 1N0
Telephone: 250.488.0878 | Email: [email protected]
Web: www.SimilkameenWine.com | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Photos & Video

  • VineGlass
  • The People of SWA
  • SWA Wine Glass
  • Similkameen BBQ King Crowd
  • Seven Stones - Wine shop with flowers
  • Sage Bush
  • Rustic Roots - Red Haven Peach
  • Rustic Roots - Fameuse and Pippin
  • Robin Ridge - winery
  • Orofino
  • Orofino Photo of vineyards and mountains
  • Orofino photo of vineyard and mountain
  • Orofino Vineyard
  • Kim's Vineyard Photo of Seven Stones
  • Kim's photo of vineyard
  • Kim's photo at Robin Ridge with vineyards and K Mountain
  • Kim's Mountain View Photo from Seven Stones
  • Kim's cherry tree photo
  • Forbidden Fruit photo of grapes
  • Forbidden Fruit - family
  • ET2Media Photo of wine glasses and barrel in Orofino Vineyard
  • ET2Media Photo of grapes in Orofino Vineyard
  • ET2Media photo - group night shot
  • Eau Vivre Winery and Vineyard
  • Clos du Soleil - Sun
  • Clos du Soleil - A_pano_morning_0001
  • Darren Robinson's Photo - Eau Vivre Vineyard
  • Best-SHOT-SWA

The People

 

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Nine of the Similkameen wineries have joined together to form the Similkameen Wineries Association (SWA) to help put the spotlight on the exciting developments in this region. Clos du Soleil, Eau Vivre, Forbidden Fruit, Orofino, Robin Ridge, Rustic Roots, Sage Bush, Seven Stones and VineGlass are working together to welcome everyone to the beautiful Similkameen Valley!

About the Similkameen Wine Region

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Soak up the sunshine and dare to dream while meandering through the vineyards of the family-run boutique wineries of the Similkameen. Sip award-winning wines with the winemakers while learning about their love of the land in one of the hot spots for grape and fruit wine in British Columbia. Discover for yourself why this special little wine region was named by enRoute Magazine as “one of the world’s 5 best wine regions you’ve never heard of!” This little patch of vineyards and orchards in the hot, dry and sunny Similkameen Valley is turning out some stunning grape and fruit wines.

There are currently over 600 acres of vineyards in the Similkameen and a large number of orchards. In fact, the region is considered to be the organic farming capital of Canada with an estimated 42% of all crops grown organically. This is due to the ideal conditions of dry heat, long hours of sunlight and the famous wind that whips through the valley keeping out pests and diseases.

The Similkameen Valley has been growing fruit and grapes for many years, but it is only recently that there has been a rapid expansion in the number of wineries. Prior to this, many of the grapes were sold to Okanagan wineries and contributed to a number of award winning wines. Now the awards are piling up for wineries in the Similkameen! Hundreds of medals have been awarded to Similkameen wineries over the past few years.

On the second Saturday each July, we join together for a very special event called the Similkameen BBQ King. Guests enjoy an extraordinary summer evening savouring the award-winning wines from nine of the Similkameen wineries and nine distinguished chefs who are vying for the title of Similkameen BBQ King. Passion and expertise rule the competition as some of the most sought after Chefs from BC prepare a plate of locally grown food for each guest. This award-winning event is held in the lovely outdoor gardens at the historic Grist Mill and Gardens in Keremeos. The Similkameen is becoming one of Canada’s premier wine destinations.

Located 3.5 hours east of Vancouver along beautiful highway 3, and just 30 minutes from Penticton and Osoyoos, the location makes the Similkameen the perfect weekend adventure or the perfect first stop on your Okanagan wine getaway! Kick back, relax and enjoy a glass of wine while you discover the hidden gem called the Similkameen Valley.

Press

The Similkameen Valley: The new frontier | Macleans

Okanagan spring reveals secrets | Vancouver Sun

Similkameen BBQ King | Vines & Designs

Similkameen Wineries Awarded 37 Medals | BC Wine Lover

Similkameen wineries enjoy success at Kelowna culinary event | BC Local News

BCs Similkameen Valley Proves Itself To Be Intriguing Wine Region | Georgia Straight

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