Hey there, my feathery friends! It’s me, Bob the rubber ducky, quacking in from the unforgettable Taste of Manitoba 2025 in the vibrant city of Winnipeg!
From the moment my trusty ride, Goldie, rolled into the scene, my humans were bubbling over with excitement. They were ready to dive into this annual gastronomic extravaganza!
Taste of Manitoba is not just any festival; it’s a culinary wonderland organized by the Manitoba Restaurant and Food Services Association alongside Fort Catering.
This year, we were greeted by an impressive lineup of 19 food booths. Alongside, a bustling vendor village showcasing 20 amazing Manitoba-based businesses: from sparkling jewelry creators to innovative food manufacturers, all eager to share their delightful products.
Taste of Manitoba was scheduled for five fun-filled days. Each day had a unique theme: Hospitality, ’80s, ’90s, Family and First Responder. These themes made each day a new adventure with events and entertainment related to the theme of the day!
What a great way to celebrate community!
As I waddled my way through the event, my humans were over the moon visiting about half the food booths, sampling dishes that tantalized their taste buds:
Sherwood’s Bar and Grill treated them to a Pulled Pork Bannock Bun that was simply out of this world!
Dave and Laverne’s, who could resist the crispy Brussels sprouts and their outstanding Oklahoma Slider.
CIBO Waterfront Café served up Mini Arancini that made them quack with joy.
The Mango Shrimp Tacos from Saddlery on Market, I mean, who doesn’t love a taco?
529 Wellington and Uptown wowed me with their Long Dry Ribs and Fancy Tots that were finger-licking good.
They also couldn’t get enough of the Perogy Bites from Perfect Pierogies, a true local treasure!
And lastly, they indulged in a slice of Key Lime Pie from Moxies, oh my quack, what a sweet ending!
Each of these chosen booths was like a treasure chest of flavours, leaving my humans more than satisfied.
The portions were hearty, and the passionate teams behind each booth were such a delight.
Their cheerful smiles made each bite even more enjoyable, making us feel right at home amidst all the hustle of hungry visitors.
Next Year we will have to budget a second day to visit so we can sample all the featured restaurants.
As with the food booths, we didn’t have nearly enough time to explore all the vendor kiosks but we were fortunate to drop in on a couple.
First, we stopped by the Perfect Perogies vendor booth!
We had sampled Perfect Pierogies at their food station. So we stopped by to visit their team in the vendor area.
One lady shared that she has worked with Perfect Pierogies for over 20 years. She even shared that the current CEO was her trainee at one point in time! What a treasure trove of knowledge and pride!
Perfect Pierogies is a family-owned and operated food manufacturing company located in Garson, Manitoba.
Their pierogies are available across Canada at retail and are the chosen pierogi for many restaurants and caterers.
And then there was Von Slicks!
Von Slicks is a newer gem that offers award-winning flavoured finishing butter sticks, such a cool local invention!
Von Slicks blends real food with real butter in small batches. Then they package it perfectly in a push tube, making for easy use, minimizing mess and waste.
What a great concept! Their savoury and sweet varieties are must-tries for steaks, pancakes, and everything in between.
Currently distributed at a variety of Western Canadian retailers and online in the cooler months. My humans can hardly wait to pick up a couple tubes!
What great inspiration for our community!
We were fortunate to bask in perfectly sunny weather that set the stage for a day filled with deliciousness and friendly vibes.
Every bite was an explosion of flavour, and we waddled away with full bellies and hearts brimming with joy.
A huge shout-out to the incredible planning team behind this event! Your dedication and attention to detail really shone through, creating an absolutely delightful atmosphere.
The venue was fantastic, allowing us to waddle to our favourite booths in a merry loop—a haven for every food lover!
While we didn’t dive into the entertainment, we heard from fellow adventurers that it was just as fantastic as the food!
If you haven’t dipped your feathers into the Taste of Manitoba, you’d better mark your calendars for next year! This delicious celebration of local flavours is not to be missed.
We can’t wait for the chance to dive back into those delectable delights!
In the coming months, we plan to venture to each of the restaurants and businesses we sampled during our Taste of Manitoba escapade.
We are eager to unravel their full stories and share them with you. So stay close, my adventurous friends, because many engaging tales are on the horizon!
NEVER MISS A
