Moncton, Canada – The third annual Greater Moncton Poutine Week is in full swing, with a record-breaking 52 participants this year. The festival, which celebrates the French Canadian tradition of poutine, has become a popular event for locals and tourists alike.
Poutine is a dish made up of French fries, cheese curds, and gravy. It has been adopted by the whole of Canada and is widely enjoyed across the country. The festival was created to give a boost to local businesses during the pandemic.
According to event manager Tammy Cook, local restaurants and bars not only lost jobs and revenue during the pandemic but also their community of customers. “We first launched poutine week at a time when a lot of restaurants were in lockdown so it was a really good opportunity for the staff in these places to get creative and to connect with the community and get excited about something. So it really helped them during that time and it’s just continued to be an event that people really like to get out and support and try all the poutines,” said Cook.
The festival not only supports local businesses but also encourages people to try new places. Sports Rock General Manager Jamie Jenereaux said, “That’s the goal. In the end, that’s the goal. People put out these amazing poutines and you want people to try it and hopefully, they’ll try it, they’ll love it and then all of a sudden that restaurant has a new regular.”
Restaurants participating in the festival come up with unique poutine creations, often through trial and error. Eric Somers, co-owner of Cheers Beverage Room, said, “We’ll let everyone have their spin on the poutine fest. Some of them don’t work at all. I’m probably one of the more creative people. I try to do out of the box things. Some of them don’t taste good at all and some of them are fantastic. You never know until you try.”
For Tonya Taylor, owner of Five Bridges Neighbourhood Bar and Grill, poutines are comfort food for most people. “But I also think everyone loves fries so you can’t really go wrong with adding your favourite toppings on top of fries to make it a delicious treat,” said Taylor.
For Cook, the cheese is the key to the perfect poutine. “I mean, they’re comforting right? They’re warm, ooey, gooey comforting food. I’m a fan of the squeaky cheese curds,” said Cook. Meanwhile, Somers thinks the key ingredient is nice homemade gravy. “If you can make a good gravy, you can make a good poutine,” said Somers.
The Greater Moncton Poutine Week runs until Sunday, giving people plenty of time to try out some delicious poutine creations.