Similkameen BBQ King
byThe annual Similkameen BBQ King competition, held at the historic Grist Mill & Gardens in Keremeos, is coming up on July 9th. If you’re passing through or staying in the South Okanagan, it’s a great way to sip and taste your way through the region’s best culinary offerings.
Similkameen BBQ King
Enjoy an extraordinary evening with award-winning Similkameen wines and ciders on the grounds of the Grist Mill, and watch as featured chefs create dishes using organic ingredients from local farmers in the heart of Canada’s organic capital. Participants can savour dishes and small bites from each chef, along with their chosen wine or cider pairing.
This year’s Similkameen BBQ King competitors are:
- Adair Scott, Executive Chef, Watermark Beach Resort
- Shayna Merritt, and Josh Shulman, Shayna & Shulman Culinary Adventures/Smugglers Smoke House
- James Holmes, Chef Partner at Craft Corner Kitchen
Small Bites competitors are:
- Rick Chaicomdee, Benja Thai
- Kirsten Steele, The Wrong Turn
- Traci and Brian Russell, Branding Iron
- Andrew Wurz and Stéphan Cantavénéra, Tree To Me • Harker family, Harker’s Organics
- Chris Mathieson, The Grist Mill and Gardens
A panel of judges will choose winners for 4 awards and guests will vote for the People’s Choice award. Live entertainment will be provided by Aidan Mayes and Mandy Cole, described as “powerful and soft, edgy and smooth”. This Penticton based duo is a crowd pleaser. There will also be a silent auction that is a partial fundraiser for the Grist Mill, which is a Heritage BC site.
Last year I had the honour of being a judge, and the competition was fierce. The basket ingredients that had to be used by all of the competitors included short rib, blueberries, apricots, zucchini, and more — all from local producers.
Tickets are $90 and can be purchased at any Similkameen member winery, at the Keremeos Visitor Centre, the Grist Mill, Tree To Me or online. Complimentary shuttles are available from Summerland, Penticton, Princeton, Hedley, and Osoyoos. Follow Similkameen Wine on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their wineries, special events, and more.
