SUPPORTING SMALL, LOCAL, & INDEPENDENT OVER CORPORATE CHAINS
Recently, The Rock Art Brewery in Vermont, USA, found themselves in a battle with the makers of "Monster" energy drink, Hansen Beverage Company. It all started when Rock Art began promoting a new beer of theirs with the name "Vermonster". The Hansen Co. immediately sent the small, independent brewery a cease and desist letter claiming the new drink name is too similar to the name of their popular "Monster" energy drink.
Using his company's website and various popular social media sites, Rock Art Brewery owner Matt Nadeau has rallied support, and now, talk of a Monster boycott is spreading. Although Nadeu feels as if Rock Art has done nothing wrong, he also doesn't have the financial resources to go up against a large corporation in court. He does however have the support of thousands of social media fans and followers, perhaps to the point in which Monster will realize the impact a boycott may have on their business operations.
Regardless of the final outcome of this story, the lesson here is that we must support the small, local, independent manufacturers. We must unite to support local culinary culture.
WEBSITE CHANGES
We here at the International Culinary Tourism Association take pride in what we do, and strive for perfection in everything we do. As a result, we have tightened up the organization on the website and made several improvements to make it easier for you! Some of the changes include:
1) The previous "4 Easy Steps to Culinary Tourism" have been condensed into "3 Easy Steps to Culinary Tourism", and have been incorporated in the website navigation to enable you to find exactly what we have of interest to you, as quickly as possible.
2) The chapters program has been simplified, making it much easier to understand the chapter benefits and pricing.
3) Any duplicative pages or pages with overlapping information have been condensed into one streamlined page.
4) Portions of the website that were underutilized have been removed, therefore reducing the potential for information overload.
Have a look around the updated website and see just how much it has improved!
TALES FROM THE ROAD - REMARKS FROM ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT ERIK WOLF
I had the pleasure of being a guest of the Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) this month. STO invited me to participate on a familiarization tour so that I can better understand the state of culinary tourism in Korea. In case you were not aware, Korea is one of the 9 countries that we are assessing as part of our State of the Culinary Tourism Industry Report & Readiness Index, which will be released on December 15. The tour was beneficial because I met not only the key stakeholders in Korea's tourism industry, I was also able to make my own observations about the food and beverage scene, both in Seoul, and in the countryside. Korea represents not a best practices destination in culinary tourism; rather, the potential of an underrated and largely unknown destination with abundant resources. Korea is like a diamond in the rough, just waiting to be discovered and polished up so it can shine. The culinary resources are amazing, especially in Seoul.
In addition to experiencing traditional and historical Korean meals, I experienced a "Royal Feast". I also tasted "Nouvelle Korean" cuisine at some of Seoul's upper-end restaurants. There were so many things that were unique and memorable, it is hard to narrow them down to a favorite. I suppose for innovation, it would have to be the Korean leek donut at the W Hotel in Seoul, or a Rotiboy bun with a cup of coffee in the Itaewan district of Seoul. For authenticity, I enjoyed the duck meal at the restaurant 27 Years in Kwanju, as well as the tuna sashimi with sesame oil and plum wine found everywhere in Daegu.
To maximize my visit, the STO kindly organized an interview on the Korean talk show "Heart to Heart" hosted by Ms. Ahn, who is regarded in Korea as Americans regard Oprah. We will be posting this interview on our website as soon as we get it into digital format. The trip helped to crystallize my impressions of Korea, and helped me to uncover the next steps Korea needs to take to develop its culinary tourism. I will be coming back in a few months to host a meeting to create a working group of culinary tourism professionals in order to help build a critical mass in the culinary tourism community. The next step after that is to create a Chapter of the Association.
If you would like to pre-order your copy of the 2010 State of the Culinary Tourism Industry Report & Readiness Index, just send me an email or call our main office at (+1) 503-750-7200. Pricing is based on destination or business size, and can be purchased with or without distribution rights, depending on whether you need to use the report internally or share it with your constituents. Click here for more information on the State of the Culinary Tourism Industry report.
WHO ATE ALL THE PIES? - REMARKS FROM ASSOCIATION DEVELOPMENT MANAGER GARRY TAYLOR
Growing up in the South Wales Valleys in the UK, I must admit to have eaten a few pies in my time, either as a take away from a local fish and chip shop for supper, or pies that have been home made. I moved from Wales to the U.S. where I realized a "pie" was a generic term for both sweet and savory fillings in pastry, where as I was used to savory pies and sweet tarts. From the U.S., I moved to New Zealand, where the Kiwis are eating 43 million pies every twelve months. If you do the math, that's 117,000 pies every day!
Pies are indeed serious items that have secret orders complete with mysterious meetings and their own Masonic-fashion handshakes at their very core! Pies have been eaten here in New Zealand since circa 1791 with James Cook [of the Ship "Endeavour" fame] "Yorkshire Goose Pye." Pies then increasingly did a roaring trade until approximately the 1920's where the popularity took a bit of a nose dive. However, here we are in 2009, and hate them or love them the pie is here to stay as their popularity is soaring once more. They are today considered an iconic portable snack food, one that has even been described as part of the New Zealand National Cuisine. In 2003 one popular brand in Australia produced over 50,000 pies per hour, giving this pie loving country the gastronomic notoriety of having the pie listed as its national dish!
Pies have though, like any culinary delight, evolved, and are no longer merely minced meat and gravy. With evolution came competition, and since 1997, Bakels of New Zealand have held their Supreme Pie Awards, both to award recognition to the best pie as well as to encourage bakers to develop new recipes. Regardless if you are merely tasting or are a true pie aficionado, the New Zealand Pie is truly a unique and memorable experience, an experience that is also steeped in history. You see, until recently there have not been the brash fast food chains found in other countries, and this has given rise to the non-franchise Pie Shops, which are fiercely independent and offer a bounty of pastry-clad morsels.
If this all sounds sort of serious, you would be right. This is because for over two hundred years there has been a secret society of master craftsmen guarding the charter of the "Order of the Pie". An order that has some of the country's finest bakers and members handing down trade secrets behind closed doors. In a secret location in Auckland, the "Order of the Pie" held its biggest meeting during July 2009. 250 people were inducted into the society for assisting in creating superior pies. Now tell me a pie is "just" a pie!
CULINARY TOURISM EVENTS IN THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA
"Above the Clouds: Rising Above Today's Business Challenges" was this year's theme for the Washington State Hotel and Lodging Association's annual Convention and Trade Show, which was held on October 6th in Seattle, Washingotn, USA. ICTA's Community Manager, Melody Johnson was invited to join the panel of speakers which included Janet Leduc (Founding Director for Washington Wine Country) and Ted Farthing (Executive Director of the Oregon Wine Board). Melody gave an overview of what Culinary Tourism is, and how it is an economic driver to any community. Stephanie Hare of Crush Promotions and the marketing firm for The Washington Wine Country is planning to spearhead a Washington State Culinary Tourism Summit for 2010. ICTA will be assisting them in the planning of the event with the ultimate goal of establishing Washington regional chapters.
The Olympic Culinary Loop Association Board invited Melody Johnson to give a presentation at their monthly dinner meeting in Port Angeles, Washington, USA. She gave an overview of the ICTA and the benefits of becoming an ICTA chapter. The concept was well received and plans are to incorporate the Chapter dues in their 2010 budget.
The Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission held their 2009 Tourism Summit on October 14, 2009 at the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Center in Blyn, Washingotn, USA. ICTA's Community Manager, Melody Johnson, participated as a panelist in the general session along with Katherine Baril (Director of Jefferson County Extension) and Keven Eliff (Marketing and Social Media Consultant). The topic was: "How niche marketing, technology, and social media generate economic development opportunities for those on the Peninsula. Melody then conducted a breakout session entitled, "Culinary Tourism 101: How Culinary Tourism creates economic and community development and how the Peninsula can grow this market."
Ten local Chef's prepared the star studded Olympic Coastal Cuisine Showcase Luncheon. The presentation was stellar, but the taste....oh my! One of the appetizers was Dungeness Crab and Oyster mushroom Agnolotti with Mascarpone cheese finished with a Tarragon Beurre Blanc. And of course, the desserts! Blackberry Pavlovas with Mt. Townsend Fromage Blanc Parsnips "Foster" Upside Down Cakes! Yes, this was Culinary Tourism extraordinaire!
INTERNATIONAL CULINARY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT (ICTD) IS HIRING
International Culinary Tourism Development (ICTD), our development consulting branch, is our newest sister company. Based about 30 minutes outside of Tauranga, New Zealand, ICTD is seeking a dynamic and confident Personal Assistant to support the company's President & CEO. It's a great opportunity to learn more about the world's culinary tourism industry, and to have fun while doing it. Applicants must already have authorization to work in New Zealand and must love dogs. For more information about the job, read the job description and apply online here.
FUN FOOD FLAGS
Recently, an Australian advertising agency came up with a campaign to promote the Sydney International Food Festival. The campaign centered around flags made of typical foods found in each country. For example: the flag of Italy is made of basil, pasta and tomatoes, and the Greek flag is made of feta cheese and olives. Who would have thought that a nation's icon could be so tasty?
- Erik Wolf President & CEO
- International Culinary Tourism Association
- FoodTrekker.com
- (+1) 503 750 7200
- 4110 SE Hawthorne Blvd #440
- Portland, Oregon 97214 USA
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