The Spot Prawn Festival is back – Celebrate from Home for 2021.

The much-loved annual Spot Prawn Festival is returning for 2021! The festival will be a “deconstructed”, COVID-19 friendly celebration of the local, sustainable, and delicious humble BC spot prawn.

Each year the commercial season is scheduled around the complex life cycle of the spot prawn species for the sustainability of the fishery. Spot Prawn Festival goes virtual for the entirety of the season, starting May 14 and continuing for 4-6 week, with chefs across BC and Canada showcasing the versatility and ease of this easily identifiable BC delicacy that is prized for their sweet delicate flavour and firm texture.

By following  The Chefs’ Table Society of BC (CTS) social media accounts, foodies across BC and beyond will be connected to spot prawn loving chefs. Followers will learn how to identify spot prawns, how to cook spot prawns, where to purchase, and the sustainability of the fishery so generations are able to enjoy this special treat for years to come.

The main Spot Prawn Festival event will be held virtually on Saturday, May 29, 2021. Spot prawn lovers will be able to cook a three-course dinner with BC spot prawns as the star. Tutorials will be guided by CTS chef members from three BC regions and include Chefs Angus An of Maenam in Vancouver, Ned Bell and Stacy Johnston of Naramata Inn in the Okanagan and Ken Nakano of Aura Waterfront Restaurant + Patio located at Inn at Laurel Point in Victoria, as well as, special guest and Order of Canada recipient Chef Robert Clark. The host for the evening will be, lover of spot prawns and everything local, Lien Yeung, CBC Vancouver News Anchor/Reporter.

This virtual event will mimic the annual Spot Prawn Festival demo-stage at home. Guests of the event will be provided with a grocery list (for four servings), an equipment list,  recipes, and a video link to the tutorial for each course. At 7:00pm PST attending guests will then enjoy your BC spot prawn creations while engaging live with the four speakers.  Speakers will share the history of Spot Prawn Festival, cooking demos, recipes, secret tips on where to purchase ingredients and the delicious spot prawns. This virtual event allows the CTS and PPFA to expand the reach of the Spot Prawn Festival while allowing guests to have fun and stay safe.  Tickets for the online event are $25 and available on Eventbrite.

The 2021 Spot Prawn Festival will also allow foodies who are less inclined to cook to indulge in a delicious CTS chowder at home with the click of a mouse! The sustainable spot prawn & seafood Manhattan (tomato-based) chowder will be available frozen through Legends Haul and Organic Ocean after being prepared by CTS chefs. CTS President Darren Clay shared, “While CTS would like nothing more than to serve guests in-person at Fisherman’s Wharf, the chowder can now be enjoyed at home even after the season has ended!” Funds raised will go towards CTS initiatives such as culinary scholarships and the legacy project CTS Culinary Library. Chowder sales will begin on May 14, 2021 directly from select distributors.

While this is a detour from the typical in-person festival at Fisherman’s Wharf, it will be no less interactive and CTS’s initiatives of celebrating the BC spot prawn season will be further reaching. The virtual Spot Prawn Festival encourages seafood lovers to make the best of the spot prawn season in the safety of your own home.

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