2013 was a record-breaking year for Taste of Edmonton.
The food festival sold over three million tickets this year, beating its previous mark of 2.8 million. Organizers are attributing the success to some of the changes made to this year’s show.
“We have some new vendors, and this year we are featuring a lot more local and gourmet food,” said Paige Goueffic, media co-ordinator for Taste of Edmonton.
Goueffic said another key to the success of this year’s festival is attributed to new portion sizes. Customers this year had the option of buying small or large portions, making the event attractive to people with smaller appetites.
The festival also featured a new VIP section called “Sip ‘n’ Savor”, focusing on special themed nights built around locally sourced food.
“We had a different theme every night,” said Goueffic. “We had charcuterie, gluten free, vegan-vegetarian. The idea is that everything inside is locally grown and locally produced. So, we get to show off things that we would not otherwise.”
In fact, the Sip ‘n’ Savor was such a success that organizers are planning to expand it next year by increasing the number of vendors and the size of the tent.
Taste of Edmonton has grown to become the largest food festival in Western Canada, and Goueffic says that is a testament to Edmontonians’ passion for good food.
“I think that it shows that they are really behind it, and looking to growing and expanding in a lot of new ways,” she said.
With files from Jenna Bridges, Global News.
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