Brews and Sustainable Seafood Chowders at Vancouver Aquarium

By Helen Lee

Vancouver, BC, Canada - Savour some tasty fun as Ocean Wise chefs create delicious, sustainable seafood chowders paired with local BC brews. Featuring the top 10 Ocean Wise chowder recipe finalists, chefs will be competing for the title of BC Ocean Wise Seafood Chowder Champion 2009. With ten restaurants, five local brewers, MC food writer extraordinaire Andrew Morrison, and a chance to vote for your favourite, this chowder and hops event is not to be missed!

A judging panel of dignified local foodies and Ocean Wise partners will select the 2009 Champion Chowder, and you can vote for the People's Choice Award winner. In addition to slurping delectable chowders, guests can enjoy local beer tasters from five members of the Craft Brewers Association of BC - Granville Island Brewing, Phillips Brewing Company, R&B Brewing, TREE Brewing Company and Whistler Brewing Company.

Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at www.oceanwise.ca  

WHAT: 2nd Annual Ocean Wise Chowder ChowDown

· Dine on delicious Ocean Wise chowders from BC’s top ten Ocean Wise finalists

· Sip a variety of local BC beers

· Vote for your favourite Chowder for the People’s Choice Award winner

WHERE: Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park, Main Entrance, 845 Avison Way

WHEN: Wednesday, November 25, 6pm-9pm

WHO: Event MC: Andrew Morrison, local food writer extraordinaire

Judging Panel:

· Jamie Maw, Winner Vancouver Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award

· Chef David Hawksworth, 2005 Chef of the Year, now due to launch the highly anticipated ‘Hawksworth’ at Hotel Georgia

· Chester Carey, Canada’s first & only Certified Cicerone (aka beer sommelier)

· Guy Dean, Albion Fisheries, Ocean Wise’s Founding Seafood Supplier Partner

· Kim Stockburn, Raincoast Trading, first retail seafood company offering Ocean Wise approved products

Top 10 Ocean Wise Chowder Finalists:

· C Restaurant, Chef Wesley Young

· COAST Restaurant, Chef Josh Wolfe

· Go Fish, Chef Matt and Andrew Christie

· O’Doul’s Restaurant, Chef Chris Whittaker

· Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, Chef Sarai Zela Pardo

· Provence Marinaside, Chef Jasen Gauthier

· The Refinery, Chef Michael Carter

· Whistler Blackcomb, Chef Randy Jones

· Vancouver Aquarium Catering & Events, Chef Myke Shaw

· Zen Japanese Restaurant, Chef Nobu Ochi

WHY: Support Canada’s leading sustainable seafood conservation program.

About Ocean Wise™

The Ocean Wise logo on a restaurant menu, deli-counter or seafood product is the trusted symbol of ocean-friendly seafood choices for discerning consumers. Launched in Vancouver, BC in January 2005 by the Vancouver Aquarium, the Ocean Wise program has grown from a small, local initiative to a national program. Working with more than 230 partners with over 2,600 locations across Canada, Ocean Wise makes it easy for consumers to make environmentally-friendly seafood choices. Learn more at www.oceanwise.ca  

About the Vancouver Aquarium

The Vancouver Aquarium is a global leader in connecting people to our natural world, and a self-supporting, non-profit association dedicated to effecting the conservation of aquatic life through display and interpretation, conservation practices, education, research, and direct action. Learn more at www.vanaqua.org

To view Vancouver Aquarium's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-40-Vancouver_Aquarium