Ottawa, ON March 31, 2017 – Once again, Shaw Centre is proud to be playing a key role in an important national celebration. As part of Juno Week 2017 Shaw Centre will be hosting the JUNO Gala on April 1, 2017, the night before the JUNOs are awarded at Canadian Tire Centre on April 2nd.
Alan Reid, who serves as President and CEO of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), the JUNO Awards and MusiCounts, and JUNO award winning musician Sam Roberts were on hand to talk music and merriment during a menu tasting event held for media last week. Both were eager to offer comments on the thriving current music scene across the country while attendees at the tasting feasted on a menu tailor-made for some of the biggest stars in the Canadian music industry.
Created by Shaw Centre executive sous chef Jennifer Sands, the menu showcases local and regional influences. As befits a star-studded gala, the menu is impressively elaborate yet tempered with hearty, comfort food touches. This is intentional, says Sands, who wanted to present a meal that pays tribute to our climate.
“It is an honour to be hosting some of our country’s most accomplished performers,” said Nina Kressler, president of Shaw Centre. “2017 is a big year for celebrating Canada and we are so pleased that our incredibly talented culinary team has been tasked with preparing a menu that is befitting of the stars of the Canadian music industry.”
The media tasting event, held in Shaw Centre’s crEATe Kitchen event space, began with smoked local duck breast, served on marble rye crostini with caramelized Macintosh apple chutney, paired with a Steam Whistle Pilsner. This was followed by a salad composed of panko-crusted Ontario goat cheese, beets, arugula-pumpkin seed pesto, baby spinach and hot house sprouts; it was paired with a Jackson-Triggs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2015. Next up was a sumptuous entrée featuring slow-braised Wellington County beef short rib with decadent creamy polenta, roasted butternut purée, young beans, heirloom carrots, roasted beets, grilled peppers and a Canadian Club jus. The entrée was served with Jackson-Trigg’s Reserve Merlot 2015. The menu’s sweet finish was a decadent and inventive hot chocolate cheesecake which included dark chocolate ganache, crisp meringue marshmallows, fresh berries and cream; it was served with Jackson-Triggs Reserve Sparkling Cuve Close 2015.
Sands and the rest of the Shaw Centre culinary team will recreate this impressive menu on April 1 for the Gala’s 1500 guests as part of a joyous celebration of music and food.
– 30 –
For additional information, please contact:
Katrina McQuigge
Sales and Marketing Coordinator, Shaw Centre
613.563.1984 x 615
kmcquigge@rogers-centre.ca
About Shaw Centre
Shaw Centre was founded as the Ottawa Congress Centre in 1983. With project funding from the Province of Ontario, the City of Ottawa and the Government of Canada, the Ottawa Congress Centre was redeveloped into a new larger facility, which opened in April 2011 as the Ottawa Convention Centre (OCC). In October 2014, the OCC and Shaw Communications entered into a 10 year partnership, rebranding the facility as the Shaw Centre. Shaw Centre is a state-of-the-art convention centre that generates economic impact by hosting conventions, trade shows, meetings, consumer shows and events. Shaw Centre was recently named runner-up as the world’s best convention centre by the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC). Since opening our doors in 2011, Shaw Centre has hosted over 2000 events and has added approximately $300M to the Ottawa-Gatineau area and Province of Ontario.
The Ottawa Convention Centre® Corporation is an agency of the Government of Ontario.
