Celebrating International Women’s Day EACH FOR EQUAL
6 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2020
APPETITE for fundraising By Jennifer McFee For the fourth year running, a mouth-watering fundraiser will showcase the culinary talents of local female chefs.
Women, Wine & Food brings together a lineup of nearly 20 fabulous female chefs who will share their wares throughout Alloway Hall at the Manitoba Museum, all to raise money for Women’s Health Clinic. Chef Kelly Cattani of Bluestone Cottage cooked up the idea for the event along with Chantal Hogue, general manager of Frescolio. “It was a really happy accident. Kelly and I have worked together on a few tasting events in the past. We were talking about all the cool talent there is in Winnipeg. There’s such a neat foodie community here, and the calibre of chefs that we have is also incredible,” Hogue said. “But then we realized there isn’t really anything that brings together all the female chefs, so we decided to do something about it.” Cattani connected with the Women’s Health Clinic through a friend who works as a counsellor there, right in time for International Women’s Day. “It was a perfect fit for us,” Cattani said. “It was perfect timing and it came together beautifully. It was just meant to be.” In its inaugural year, the event launched at the Qualico Family Centre, which sold out faster than anticipated and raised about $17,000 for the cause. Now, the Manitoba
Museum provides ample space for chefs to set up stations where they offer two different appetizer-sized morsels. Wine representatives also share samples of their beverages and several vendors set up stations, including Frescolio with its fine oils and vinegars. “The chefs’ food blows me away each year. I’m always impressed with the flavour and creativity that goes into each dish. There are so many talented female chefs here,” Cattani said. “Personally, I’ve never felt a disparity in terms of the gender representation in our industry. I just found that there weren’t the same opportunities for female chefs to showcase their talent. For me, the motivation was to get these chefs a little bit of recognition for the great job that they’re already doing.” For many returning guests, Women, Wine & Food offers a unique way to celebrate International Women’s Day. “Every year it’s been such a joyous event to participate in. The entire atmosphere of the room is really inspiring. Just by being there, you feel a lot of good emotions,” Cattani said. “I do a lot of fundraisers throughout the year, and this one has such a fantastic vibe. It’s positive and harmonious, and it makes me feel so good about our city. These are really an inspiring bunch of women.”
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY | UWINNIPEG.CA
Leading Change in Remarkable Ways
The University of Winnipeg is proud of the many women leaders, researchers, and community builders — including five Canada Research Chairs: Dr. Angela Failler, Dr. Mary Jane Logan McCallum, Dr. Nora Casson, Dr. Julie Nagam, and Dr. Jaime Cidro — who are all leading change in remarkable ways and making a significant contribution to Canada’s environment, health, communities, and economy.
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