Moncton conference celebrates kitchen culture and local food

Chef Owen Brinson is pictured in front of a lectern at the 2025 Canadian Culinary Federation National Conference at the Hotel Beausejour in Moncton, N.B. (Derek Haggett/CTV Atlantic)

They weren’t in a traditional kitchen, but a group of chefs from across Canada participated in a quick-fire challenge in Moncton Wednesday afternoon.

The high-paced event was part of the 2025 Canadian Culinary Federation National Conference taking place at the Hotel Beausejour this week.

Culinary Federation of New Brunswick President Owen Brinson said the annual get-together celebrates kitchen culture.

“We had 205 chefs come to Moncton over the weekend and they want to see, they want to experience New Brunswick,” said Brinson. “They want to experience the east coast. Chefs coming from Vancouver. Chefs coming from Winnipeg, Saskatchewan. So they want to get to experience our local cuisine and what makes us exceptional.”

Brinson said New Brunswick’s culinary scene has a fantastic reputation across the country.

“People love our local seafood. All the ingredients that are grown here that people may not know about on a national stage. I like to say New Brunswick is Canada’s best secret when it comes to the culinary world and we don’t do enough to promote ourselves and what we do here because we are humble in our region.”

Brinson said there was a trade show Wednesday where 40 suppliers, 20 of them from Atlantic Canada, got to showcase everything the region has to offer. He said the quick-fire challenge was their way of having some fun.

“We had six teams of six chefs and those chefs were split into two teams of three. They were separated and they did not know anything of what they were going to be cooking, what the ingredients were or what equipment they were going to have.”

After 20-minute intervals the chefs switched.

“They were in two different rooms, two different kitchens and after 20 minutes the whistle blows and they switch and they have to complete each other’s dish that they already started,” Brinson said. “It’s a lot of fun. That one is a lot of camaraderie.”

As part of the event, Savour NB is hosting its first food and beverage business accelerator and mentorship program, aimed at food and beverage entrepreneurs across the province. Participants have been taking part in hands-on learning for the past several months, including more than 80 hours of business development.

Some people new to the industry said the program is a game changer.

Brinson said he hopes the conference sets the stage for future investment in the province’s food and beverage industry.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.