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News & Press Releases2009 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame Inductees AnnouncedFebruary 9, 2009 — On March 30, 2009, 800 members of British Columbia's culinary scene will gather in the new Vancouver Convention Centre West, to celebrate their finest at the 5th annual BC Restaurant Hall of Fame induction gala. "Over the last five years we have seen the most excellent of BC's hospitality industry leaders inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame. Each year, I have the honour of congratulating the new inductees; those conversations confirm the respect of the induction, the passion for the industry, and the pride in our chosen profession," said Bing Smith, Founder and Past Chair of the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame." Inductees in the four categories (Active, Industry, Pioneer and Friend of the Industry) are:
"Now in its 5th year, the inductees into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame continue to be impressive. The 12 individuals being inducted in 2009 once again represent the very best of those who have made a significant difference to the BC Restaurant industry." says John Harper, Chair of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association. Bing Smith goes on to say: "The 70 inductees over the last five years represent a very small percentage of our foremost culinary lights. We are all proud to be part of the group that have lead the thriving BC Restaurant Industry to where it is today, and are eager to open our restaurant, hotel and hospitality doors to the world in 2010." The Hall of Fame inductees will be honoured on March 30, 2009 at an extraordinary event featuring a Champagne reception, multi course dinner and dessert reception prepared by BCRHOF nominee chef Blair Rasmussen and paired with the best of BC wines. Who better to christen the brand new Vancouver Convention Centre West than 800 of BC's finest hospitality leaders! Tickets for the March 30, 2009 gala are now available for purchase online or by phone: 604-628-9547 Media Contacts
About the BC Restaurant Hall of FameTogether, Bing Smith and Don Monsour, Executive Directors of BCRFA at the time, took their vision from conception to reality. The BC Restaurant Hall of Fame was conceived in 2004 and the first groups of inductees were honoured in March of 2005. This is the first, and remains the only, Restaurant Hall of Fame in Canada. The BC Restaurant Hall of Fame was established to recognize the individuals in the restaurant industry who have made significant contributions to the BC restaurant scene; making it the finest in Canada. Our active inductees are designing our future. Our friends of the industry assist us in making our present time a success and supporting us to our future successes. The incredible changes in the BC dining scene were made possible by the vision, creativity and unbelievable hard work of the individuals recognized through induction into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame. The inaugural group of sixteen inductees was led by Erwin Doebeli and Umberto Menghi and included legends such as Nat Bailey, Hy Aisenstat, George Tidball, Bruno Marti and Harry McWatters. In 2008 some of the inductees that joined this illustrious group included David Hawksworth, Anthony Gismondi, and a special lifetime achievement award to the late James Barber. Back to all News & Press Releases | Back to top | Download this press release as PDF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||