Seed to Sausage's “Day of the Pig”

May 22, 2014

Cars lined both sides of Road 38 as far as the eye could see for the third annual Day of the Pig at Seed to Sausage in Sharbot Lake on May 17. The event, now in its third year, is the season opener for the business’s retail store, which offers up a wide array of artisanal meat products made on site and other fine food products.

The event attracted foodies from as far away as Kingston, Ottawa, and Toronto for a day of fine feasting, with live music courtesy of Kyra and Tully, The Huaraches and The Foley Mountain Playboys. The event offered up great eats from a number of food vendors and chefs with no fewer than seven food stations set up on the premises.

McKenzie and his Seed to Sausage staff roasted a whole pig, which was gobbled up before mid-afternoon and their delectable bacon/beef burgers were also up for grabs. Other fine restaurants, including Le Chien Noir from Ottawa, Atomica from Kingston, and Slow Taco from Prince Edward County, offered up tasty entrees that included roast chicken with potato salad, smoked salmon sandwiches and more. An additional 11 artisan food producers were set up in a double tent out front, with each offering up generous samples of their creations, including artisanal chocolates, cookies, breads and other baked good, dips, sauces, cheeses and other comestibles. Many of the products are sold in Seed to Sausage's retail store, which was doing a brisk business.

A number of food and beverage demonstrations took place throughout the day, including one by former National Arts Centre top chef Michael Blackie, who is currently owner and chef of a new restaurant, Next, in Stittsville. He whipped up a delicious salad of barbequed pulled pork served on a bed of delicious citrus-dressed greens that was garnished with roasted pork rind. Following the demo Blackie and his staff plated up well over 50 servings for guests to sample.

In the beverage department there was beer from Beau's and Big Rig Brewery and wines from Harvey and Vern, Casa Dea and Three Dogs.

Mike McKenzie, co-owner of Seed to Sausage, first initiated the event to celebrate the opening of their retail store. He has continued it not only to promote his own business but also other artisanal food vendors and those in the industry who helped give him a leg up in the business.

New this year were two competitions - the first a BBQ Sauce Off that had close to 30 entries. The brand Just Grillin' took the top prize, which was a distribution option with Ital and Findlay Foods and a meeting with a rep from the grocery chain Farm Boy. The second competition was a Home Brew Off that garnered over 60 entries and offered up a first place prize of a personalized kegerator, and funding through the Food and Beverage region (FAB) and the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC). Kris Wright, a home brewer from Ottawa organized the beer competition, which was won by Etienne Bisson of Kingston and his American Pale Ale.

Anne Prichard, executive director of the FCFDC, was on hand to announce the winner. She is currently working with the FAB and together they are hoping to see a craft brewery take root in the area. “Right now there is a huge trend in craft brewing and there is a great opportunity to bring that kind of business here,” Prichard said. “With Mike's business here it would be a natural fit and it would be great to get a food cluster growing in this area. Mike has done a great job not only growing his own business but also nurturing and fostering other similar businesses that would be supportive to him and vice versa.”

McKenzie said he was thrilled with the turn out this year and he is amazed at how the event has grown over the years. Asked to sum up his business and its rapid rise to success over a short few years, McKenzie said that it is not just about crafting tasty food but more about the special attention he and his staff pay to service. “A lot of people can make tasty food but when you go into the business of making it, the business quickly becomes more about making the food accessible and making sure people enjoy it and feel good about eating it.”

Just last week Seed to Sausage was named as one of Canada's top 10 most innovative food producers and last year it was named Canada's top artisan food producer. Those who attended this year’s Day of the Pig had a chance to experience first hand why Seed to Sausage continues to be on the cutting edge.