BELOW Anthony Bourdain. BOTTOM Mark Gray.
Photos: Julé Malet-Veale.
“W
e are delighted with the international calibre of our visiting delegates, industry heavyweights as well as the international and Canadian chefs that attended our event,” says Michael Howell, executive director of Devour! From its humble beginnings as a retro film festival in 2009, the event has grown into a star-studded affair that turns the bucolic setting of Wolfville into a buzzing metropolis for foodies and the culinary-inclined. Featuring a mix of food films, great meals and workshops, Devour! has carefully cultivated their recipe for success. “We are really lucky to live in the kind of place that attracts talented people to make their home. We have a unique blend of land and sea, chefs, producers and farmers that creates greatness, and our programming reflects it,” says Lia Rinaldo, managing director. Sifting through 200 films, the Devour! team curated 55 new food and wine films for festival goers to enjoy. “Food films are often seen as hard-hitting documentaries. At the festival, we want to educate but also enlighten and entertain people,” says Rinaldo. As part of the first annual celebrity curated movie, Anthony Bourdain showed filmgoers his favourite food film, Ang
Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman. During the evening, Bourdain even tried the famous Nova Scotian delicacy — donair. In another uniquely Nova Scotian tradition, the gastronomical explorer also became a Member of the Order of Good Cheer. Each year at Devour!, films are handselected and paired with a meal inspired by it — themes, colours, ingredients come to life in the hands of local and guest chefs. This year, chef Dave Smart of Wolfville’s Front and Central restaurant created a feast based on the Spanish film El Somni. Well known for his unique creations, such as boneless rack of lamb, Smart believes creativity is fundamental to the culinary experience. “With my background in
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