Toronto FOOD & WINE Festival Attracts International Event Cochon 555
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COCHON 555 Announces First Ever Canadian Events at Toronto FOOD & WINE Festival 

Inaugural Year of Food Fest Attracts International Events  
TORONTO – May 29, 2015 – For the first time ever, Cochon 555 is bringing its flavour-packed marquee events series to Canada during the first two days of the Toronto FOOD & WINE Festival. Canadians will get the chance to sink their teeth into both the Heritage BBQ and EPIC Cochon events. This announcement is just one of the amazing epicurean features of the inaugural year of the food festival, presented by Time Inc.'s FOOD & WINE Magazine, set to take place from September 18th to 20th, 2015 at Evergreen Brick Works in downtown Toronto. 
 
Cochon 555, started in 2009 by Brady Lowe, features a series of unique food events that help support family farms and raise awareness of the importance of heritage pig farming. Cochon 555 is dedicated to celebrating the relationship between the farmer, forager and chef, resulting in a collective romance of flavour that extends culinary boundaries – all while being paired with amazing wines and premium spirits. During Cochon 555 events guests indulge in over 1,400lbs of pork creations in addition to tasting a multitude of global grilling practices in the “World’s BBQ Fair” exhibition which includes Hibachi, Korean BBQ, Asado, Char Siu, Braii, Satay, and Barbacoa.
 
The weekend will kick-off in pork bliss on Thursday evening with EPIC Cochon, a one-of-a-kind dinner featuring five Canadian chefs working alongside five American chefs. This fierce competition will be held at Parts & Labour and will be hosted by Matty Matheson of Parts & Labour (Toronto), Jose Mendin of Pubbelly Group (Miami), and Brady Lowe of Cochon 555. EPIC is Cochon 555’s most sought after expression of the tour, presented as a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience of grandiose proportions. Ten exceptional chefs will work their magic on ten heritage pigs, each weighing 50 pounds, with their personal culinary spin.
 
The deliciousness will continue on Friday with Heritage BBQ - a friendly competition between 5 notable chefs (participants to be announced soon), who create signature dishes using the entire pig from nose-to-tail. A panel of 20 esteemed judges taste these creations and declare one a winner. Guests will enjoy 40 chef-prepared dishes in an all-inclusive stand-up reception including artisan cheeses, sustainable seafood, the signature Perfect Manhattan Bar and Mezcal Experience, crisp ciders, craft brews and premium wines. All tickets include endless drink and tons of food.
"For the fifteenth stop of the 2015 tour, we set course on our first international event in Canada,” announced Brady Lowe. “We couldn't be more honoured to be part of history at the first ever Toronto FOOD & WINE Festival. Toronto’s culinary scene has an impressive reputation that cannot be ignored. As the city’s dining scene continues to grow, festivals like these with a spotlight on sustainability help focus the importance of ethnic diversity and those talented chefs feeding the hyper-local food landscape. It’s awesome to include the EPIC dinner and Heritage BBQ in the great city of Toronto.”
 
"Part of the excitement in hosting the first ever Toronto FOOD & WINE Festival is that it has also attracted other international events to our city. I am proud to host Cochon 555, with a focus on local and heritage pig farming, that will bring together notable chefs from near and far to celebrate food, community and friendly competition," exclaims Judy Merry, VP Informa Canada. "As Toronto’s culinary scene continues to grow in the international spotlight, we’ve begun attracting international flare to our city. Hosting the first ever FOOD & WINE Festival in Toronto confirms that we’re ready to play with the culinary pros.”

Stay tuned for programming updates and details on media accreditation.

About Toronto FOOD & WINE Festival
Over the course of three delectable days, the 2015 Toronto FOOD&WINE Festival will showcase the expertise and creativity of the best culinary talents in Toronto, Ontario, and Canada. Toronto comes to life in the Grand Tasting Pavilion, highlighting local restaurants, wineries, and breweries. Attendees will delight in programming that features fan-favourite, local and international celebrity chefs, cooking classes, tutored tastings, and special events that bring the world of food, wine, and spirits to local palates. Join us at Evergreen Brick Works from September 18-20, 2015 to celebrate our diverse city, our multicultural epicurean scene, and enjoy the ultimate culinary weekend in Toronto!
Find the Toronto FOOD & WINE Festival online:
Twitter: @TOfoodandwine
Instagram: @tofoodandwine
Facebook: /TOFoodAndWine
Pinterest: /TOfoodandwine
www.torontofoodandwine.com

About Cochon 555
Created by Taste Network’s Brady Lowe in 2009 in response to the lack of consumer education around heritage breeds. This pork feast visits 20 major cities in North America annually. The events feature top chefs preparing whole heritage breed pigs and other locally raised proteins. Together with winemakers, brewers, distillers and craft food makers creating authentic culinary events celebrating champions in the good food movement. The flagship Cochon 555 tour that started seven years ago is celebrated as the world’s first environmentally conscious nose-to-tail pig competition. Since its launch, the tour has supported responsible family farming resulting more in 50,000 people tasting heritage pork for the first time while investing over 4 million in one conversation “the promotion of heritage breed pigs raised by family farms". For more details about the events, visit www.cochon555.com or follow @cochon555 on Twitter.
For more information on the Toronto FOOD & WINE festival, interview opportunities, media accreditation, or vendor inquiries please contact:
 
Shawn Rusich
Public Relations Director 
416.822.5266
shawn@butterpr.ca

Brittney McKee
Public Relations Manager
647.524.1774
brittney@butterpr.ca
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