HISTORY OF SAVOUR OTTAWA

Right from the start, it was all about food: At the end of the 1700s, years before Bytown was founded, an enterprising farmer named Joseph Mondion had settled on the shores of the Ottawa River. He sold fresh vegetables (and perhaps a bit of liquor) to voyageurs travelling up the river.

Since then, we have been producing food-and unique food products-for ourselves and for visitors. Kathleen Walker's 1995 book, Ottawa's Repast, tells of how Bytown hosted its first agricultural fair in 1829. (It ended in a drunken brawl.)

But by the end of the 19th century were making our mark in the world: In 1893, cheesemakers from neighbouring Lanark County sent a mammoth cheese-estimated weight: 22,000 pounds-to the Chicago World's Fair. And one year before, the world's first all-electric meal was cooked right here in Ottawa.

Today, our food sector is thriving.
Our restaurant choices range from kid-pleasing BeaverTails (a signature Ottawa dish!) all the way to the five-diamond restaurants Le Baccara and Signatures at Le Cordon Bleu. We have chefs who showcase our bountiful local produce and a range of food-centric festivals in every season. We have prestigious events like the Ottawa Wine and Food Show, and simple farmers' markets (ByWard, Parkdale and Carp, for example).

Savour Ottawa is helping Ottawans-and visitors!-discover all we have to offer.

Join Savour Ottawa!
Savour Ottawa is a membership-based initiative, and this is the best time of year to join the award-winning and community-supported Savour Ottawa. Click here to learn more about the benefits of membership. The 2012 Membership Application are now available here.

Learn more about Savour Ottawa and what it does through this short video.

Omnivore's Ottawa, by Ron Eade
Want some inside info on the Ottawa-area food scene? Click here to read Ron Eade's entertaining and expansive blog "Omnivore's Ottawa". Ron is the Food Editor of the Ottawa Citizen and posts regular updates on the local food and restaurant community on his blog. Enjoy!