Lincoln and West Niagara took centre stage at Benchmark with a unique collaborative dinner on the menu for the one-night-only ticketed event.
The sold-out dinner was the latest in its Celebrate Niagara dinner series, which brought together guest chefs from the Good Earth Food and Wine Co., Redstone Winery and Restaurant, Revalee, and Vineland Estates Winery.
“It was another exceptional display of great alumni and great industry chefs in the same building working closely with our students,” said Victor Oliveira, Manager of Catering and Special Events. “Participating in events like this, the students are able to not only learn and work alongside these chefs, but also network and show off their skills.”
The evening began with reception bites from The Good Earth (chicken liver parfait), Redstone (mini beef burgers) and Revalee (Manchego & Serrano ham croquettas). Guests then enjoyed a multi-course feast featuring bluefin tuna tartare from The Good Earth, warm smoked salmon from Revalee, pan-seared duck breast from Redstone, and a parsnip cake with maple whisky gelato from Vineland Estates.
For Andrew Thorpe, Executive Chef of The Good Earth, the event was a homecoming. A 2008 Culinary Management graduate, Thorpe has enjoyed returning to campus to student events over the years. With several NC grads on his team at The Good Earth, he values how Benchmark events provide real-world experience for students.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with culinary students through co-op placements at The Good Earth for nearly five years now,” said Thorpe. “It’s always rewarding to share what makes our space and approach special, and I hope those students leave with a deeper appreciation for what’s possible in this industry.”
Thorpe valued the opportunity to be a part of the Celebrate Niagara series, and chance to showcase what makes the region special.
“I feel truly humbled to have been selected to represent an area I’ve been fortunate to work in and be part of for over a decade,” said Thorpe. “At The Good Earth, we try to capture that feeling – and creating a space where guests feel like they’ve discovered something special. On a warm summer day in our gardens, it really feels like there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.
“We take pride in working closely with local farmers – and in many cases, growing ingredients ourselves – which creates a genuine connection between the food, the land, and the guest experience,” he said.
Kristina Pierce, Executive Chef, the Restaurant at Redstone, was also eager to spotlight her community
“I wanted to participate because West Lincoln and Beamsville are kind of tucked away, but we have a lot of really great wineries and restaurants, and I wanted to showcase Redstone as one of those,” said Pierce. “I love being surrounded by all the orchards. In the summer, local stone fruit is very prevalent in my menus.”
While it was her first time participating in an event at NC, Chef Pierce noted that many of the cooks on her team at Redstone are NC alumni. She embraced the opportunity to be a part of the event, which is a key hands-on opportunity for current students.
“This is an industry where you can never stop learning,” she said. “New experiences can inspire creativity and confidence. I’ve always loved being a part of that process.”
Each event in the Celebrate Niagara series is dedicated to a specific area of the region and offers guests an opportunity to savour courses from multiple restaurants from that area in a single sitting.
At the same time, the dinner events are opportunities for culinary and hospitality students to sharpen their skills and build professional networks.
All events are hosted at Benchmark Restaurant under the leadership of Chef Justin Downes and Manager of Catering and Special Events Victor Oliveira.
Celebrate Niagara will continue May 21 with a focus on the diverse food scene of St. Catharines. The sold-out event will include Bolete, Fat Rabbit, Niagara Food Company, and Wellington Court (sold out).
A Celebrate Welland event is also in the works (tickets not yet on sale).
The series kicked off on March 12 with Celebrate Niagara Falls (Bittersweet Symphony, Casa Mia Ristorante, Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Parks, Niagara Food Specialties, and Tide and Vine Oyster House), and continued April 9 with Celebrate Niagara-on-the-Lake (House, Peller Estates Winery and Restaurant, Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery, Treadwell Cuisine, and Vintage Hotels).
