For our agency, Terroir Symposium has never just been another industry event. It has been one of the most important gathering points for Canada’s food and hospitality community — a place where ideas, chefs, producers and marketers cross paths in 2014 it simply did not happen anywhere else.
For years, Terroir played a meaningful role in helping Branding & Buzzing deepen client relationships, discover new talent, and stay connected to the culture of food in Canada.
Because we had access to tickets through partnerships, we were able to bring up-and-coming chefs who otherwise wouldn’t have been invited or able to attend. Some of those chefs went on to become major names. Others became long-term collaborators, partners and friends. These experiences shaped our understanding of where Canadian food was moving — and who was going to shape its future.
From 2013-2015 we also used Terroir to elevate our clients. We brought Canola Eat Well to the event and introduced them to the community alongside Will the Farmer — both of whom you can look up online today to see just how influential they’ve become in the Canadian food conversation. Those relationships, started years ago at with some expereicnes at Terroir, are still important to how we understand food, farming and community storytelling today.
At the time, we were also working closely with Chef Mark McEwan. Back then he wasn’t someone who normally attended industry conferences, and convincing him to come was a moment we still talk about.
“It’s the first time I ever saw Mark in jeans,” says Sean Beckingham.
Moments like that remind us why Terroir matters. It brings together the veterans of the industry, the new wave of chefs, the farmers, the producers, the writers and the people who care about where food is going next. And when you’re in the business of connecting brands, chefs, creators and communities, events like this are where everything starts.
For us, attending Terroir wasn’t optional — it was essential. It’s how you meet people. It’s how you build the network. And it’s how you stay part of the conversation that keeps Canadian food moving forward.