Around Town: Local chefs help bring in $60,000 for Ottawa shelter, soup kitchen

Chefs’ hats off to all the culinary professionals who helped make the Shepherds of Good Hope’s signature fundraiser on Wednesday its biggest and best yet, attracting more than 300 people and raising roughly $60,000 for a non-profit organization that’s been serving the poor and homeless in our city for the past 33 years.

The Shepherds went nomadic this year, moving their fourth annual A Taste For Hope from Ottawa City Hall to Lansdowne’s large and very welcoming Horticulture Building. There, attendees sampled some incredible edibles, with tasty beverages in hand, while basking in the sounds of live music, catching up with friends and associates, and bidding on auction items, including a pair of plane tickets to any WestJet destination.

Attendee Melanie Vadeboncoeur with John Peters, long-time board member with the Shepherds of Good Hope and chair of its foundation board, at the fourth annual A Taste For Hope culinary event held inside the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, in support of the non-profit shelter, soup kitchen and housing support.

Unveiled that night was a stunning new 18-month calendar featuring local chefs photographed by professional shutterbugs, in support of the cause. It was nice to see attention paid to a group that’s usually working behind the scenes, in the kitchen.

The 17 participating chefs in A Taste For Life not only donated their time and food but also their staff to put the event on. “We couldn’t do an event like this without their help,” Shepherds of Good Hope president and CEO Deirdre Freiheit, told Around Town. “We can’t even say ‘Thank you’ enough.”

Nobody had to twist Rene Rodriguez’s heavily tattooed arm to participate. He’s the chef and owner of Navarra in the ByWard Market. “It’s about taking care of people who are not as fortunate as I am, in a way that drives you, which, for me, is food,” he explained of his involvement.

Robert Bourassa, former owner and executive chef of the legendary Cafe Henry Burger, with his wife, Liz Nowak, at A Taste For Hope culinary event for the Shepherds of Good Hope, held at the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne

“How can you not?” That response came from Marc Lepine, chef and owner of Atelier in Little Italy. He has voluntarily cooked in the past at the Shepherds of Good Hope, where he’s seen first-hand the breadth of the Shepherd’s reach. It cares for more than 1,600 men and women each day by offering shelter, meals, clothing and groceries, and by running supportive living facilities around the city.

To be clear, the contributions made by the food and hospitality industry goes beyond a three-hour fundraising party like A Taste For Hope. The Westin hotel, for example, packages and freezes extra and unserved banquet food so that it can be delivered to places like the Shepherds of Good Hope on a regular basis. “It’s a charity that I think is close to our heart,” said Executive Chef Kenton Leier.

From left, Executive Chef Kenton Leier from The Westin Ottawa with Shepherds of Good Hope president and CEO Deirdre Freiheit and Rene Rodriguez, chef and owner of Navarra, at the fourth annual A Taste For Hope culinary event.
Attendee Melanie Vadeboncoeur with John Peters, long-time board member with the Shepherds of Good Hope and chair of its foundation board, at the fourth annual A Taste For Hope culinary event held inside the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, in support of the non-profit shelter, soup kitchen and housing support.
Chef Natasha Kyssa from Simply Raw Express, seen with the Shepherds of Good Hope communications manager Don Ermen, poses with a photo of her that's featured in a new calendar of local chefs, unveiled Wednesday, March 30, 2016, during the A Taste For Life culinary event for the Shepherds of Good Hope.
From left, Rob Searle, chief financial officer for the Shepherds of Good Hope with its foundation board chair, lawyer John Peters, and fellow board member Melissa Shabinsky, at the fourth annual A Taste For Hope culinary benefit held at the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne on Wednesday, March 30, 2016.
From left, lawyer Chris Spiteri with his wife, Jane, and law partners Michael Crystal and John MacDonell, who was chief of staff to former Conservative cabinet minister Peter MacKay, at the fourth annual A Taste For Hope culinary event held inside the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, in support of the Shepherds of Good Hope.
Retired diplomat Larry Dickenson with his wife, food expert and cookbook author Margaret Dickenson, and their daughter, Tanya Dickenson-Tessier and granddaughter, Gabrielle Tessier, at A Taste For Hope, an annual culinary event for the Shepherds of Good Hope held at Lansdowne's Horticulture Building on Wednesday, March 30, 2016.
From left, Ottawa criminal defence lawyer Michael Crystal socializing with Rockcliffe neighbours Jeff Mierins and Tara-Leigh Cancino Brouillette, at the fourth annual A Taste For Hope culinary event held inside the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne on Wednesday, March 30, 2016.
Essence Catering chef and owner Jason Laurin got help serving from his 11-year-old son Evan at the fourth annual A Taste For Hope culinary event held inside the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, in support of the Shepherds of Good Hope.
Jonathan Korecki, executive chef at Sidedoor in the ByWard Market, was among the 17 chefs to participate in the fourth annual A Taste For Hope culinary event for the Shepherds of Good Hope, held inside the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne on Wednesday, March 30, 2016.
Two-time Gold Medal Plate champ Marc Lepine from Atelier with fellow chef Briana Kim from Cafe My House were back to participate in A Taste for Hope, an annual culinary event that has Ottawa chefs feedings hundreds of attendees in support of the Shepherds of Good Hope. The event was held Wednesday, March 30, 2016, at Lansdowne's Horticulture Building.
Robert Bourassa, former owner and executive chef of the legendary Cafe Henry Burger, with his wife, Liz Nowak, at A Taste For Hope culinary event for the Shepherds of Good Hope, held at the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne on Wednesday, March 30, 2016.
Adam J. Smith, board chair of the Shepherds of Good Hope as well as a board member with its foundation, with his wife, Maria Vranas, at the fourth annual A Taste For Hope culinary event held at Lansdowne's Horticulture Building on Wednesday, March 30, 2016.
Sarah J. Corbett with Ottawa photographer Justin Van Leeuwen and Phil Nowotny from the Shepherds of Good Hope at A Taste For Hope, a culinary event held at the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne on Wednesday, March 30, 2016.
Shepherds of Good Hope president and CEO Deirdre Freiheit is flanked by its foundation's board members, Ryan Kilger and Doreen Hume, a partner at Deloitte who's also a long-time board member with the non-profit organization, at a culinary benefit held at the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne on Wednesday, March 30, 2016.