LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2021

TRENDSETTERS

Clockwise from the top: planning image for the exterior of Three Fires; an appetizer that Billy Alexander has been working on for the menu, Three Fires Chef Billy Alexander (left) and industry colleague Dan Peltier (right).

When it comes to talent and innovation, Ontario’s cup runneth over with places and people setting trends and making a difference in the realm of drinks and food. Even through unprecedented times, these extraordinary individuals and compa- nies have continued to build, raising the bar for what’s possible. Whether focusing on social justice or sustainability or cre- ative retail innovations, each deserves recogni- tion for their influential achievements. This list, as nominated by our Food & Drink editors, is by no means complete (there’s just too much homegrown brilliance to celebrate!), but we hope you’ll be as inspired as we are! Leaders of the pack Shining the spotlight on 30+ locals who are turning big ideas into reality. By Victoria Walsh

Billy Alexander Executive chef and culinary advisor, Caldwell First Nation Caldwell First Nation opens restaurant and the first Indigenous-owned winery in Eastern Canada. Indigenous cuisine takes centre stage

“Call Indigenous cuisine a trend if you want,” says Billy Alexander, executive chef and culinary advisor for Caldwell First Nation, in Leamington, Ont. “But if Indigenous cui- sine is a trend, it’s the oldest food trend in North America,” he quips. “We have been here for a minimum of 14,000 years and living this way for that and longer.” From charcuterie to sea- sonal eating to sustainable approaches to growing and harvesting food, some of the most popular food trends of the past two decades are foundational to Indigenous cooking. “Our culture has shaped many cultures’ ideas of food,” agrees Alexander. Ontarians can make that connection for themselves

sometime this fall when he and Caldwell First Nation open Three Fires: an Indig- enous Culinary Experience along the north shore of Lake Erie (now known as Leaming- ton, Ont.). The restaurant and event space, which overlooks Sturgeon Creek, aims to be a showcase for Indigenous cuisine and hospitality. And it’s being done on a grand scale: Three Fires can accom- modate over 600 guests. (The opening is contingent upon construction restrictions due to COVID-19 being eased.) The menu offerings will be seasonally inspired and make use of local ingredients. There will be game, but Alexander wants to dispel the myth that Indigenous food is entirely carnivorous, so there’ll be veg-

etarian and vegan offerings, too. He also plans to incor- porate traditional medicines into food, adding sweetgrass to preserves and sauces. Serendipity saw Three Fires gain a vineyard. After Caldwell First Nation won its land claim in 2020, they dis- covered two and a half acres of vines, and upon assessing the viability of the plot for wine cultivation, planted more grapes. The organic Indigenous-owned winery will be the first in Eastern Canada. For Alexander, the vineyard adds a future-facing element to the overall expe- rience of Indigenous cuisine and hospitality he hopes to create: “We will do it in a way that speaks to who we are.” — Flannery Dean

IMAGES COURTESY OF CALDWELL FIRST NATION

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FOOD & DRINK AUTUMN 2021