Chef showcases food scene to Canadians

Chef Matty Bowling, of Terre à Terre, in East Street, was in Vancouver, Canada, as part of a headline event at the Dine Out Vancouver Food Festival.

He was taking part in the International Chef Exchange (ICEx), an initiative created by the Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival team.

The exchange is aimed at promoting gastronomic tourism. It also helps chefs to share ideas and create a platform for the export of artisan food and drink.

The dinner was held at The Parker restaurant with head chef Felix Yizhou working alongside Mr Bowling to deliver two services of Terre à Terre tasting plates.

The meal was accompanied by wines and a Sussex gin and tonic, by Sarah Thompson of Blackdown Spirits.

The wine was Ridgeview Wine Estate’s Grosvenor which won the Best Sparkling Wine in the World at the 2010 Decanter awards.

Food festival director Nick Mosley said: “This was our first ICEx project outside of Europe and a really exciting opportunity for us to promote our region as a food tourism destination to the North American market through the iconic food of Terre à Terre.

“In addition to the exchange being filmed by Latest TV and around a dozen international broadcasters through syndication, we’ve featured on Canadian television, radio, and print and online media promoting the quality and variety of our food and drink and wider hospitality offering.”

Mr Yizhou will head to Brighton to host a dinner at Terre à Terre on May 21.

Mr Bowling said: “The event was a huge success, an experience that I will never forget.

“Felix and I worked together to develop a menu that explored a combination of Terre à Terre cuisine and Canadian produce, playing on the concept of food exchange and how the world is evolving through food, specifically vegetarianism.”

Places can be booked by calling the restaurant directly on 01273 729051.

For more information about the International Chef Exchange and the food festival visit www.brightonfoodfestival.com