COCHRANE— Looking to bring the community together in celebration of the restaurants in Town, The Taste of Cochrane is back with new COVID-19 protocols in place.
Jag Thind owner of Mehtab East Indian Cuisine said it is exciting to be celebrating the ninth annual Taste of Cochrane. Thind has been managing the festival for the last three years.
“This year is a little different according to COVID style,” Thind said. He explained that rather than take place over one day the Taste of Cochrane will run from Friday (Oct. 16) to Sunday (Oct. 25). He added restaurants will not be offering samples this year and social distancing will be maintained.
Those that visit one of the participating restaurants during Taste of Cochrane can take a photo of their food or a selfie in the restaurant, throw the photo on social media and tag the restaurant and the Taste of Cochrane for a chance to win one of 30 gift cards worth $25. Purchases can be for dine-in or get take-out.
Thind added some restaurants are encouraging visitors to take photos with managers and staff to help celebrate the festival.
“It’s a really good get— Supporting local businesses and getting great food,” Thind said.
He noted there has been no charge to participate in the Taste of Cochrane for businesses as the event has been sponsored by the Cochrane and Area Chamber of Commerce and The Cochrane Eagle.
“It’s a great initiative, I’m pretty happy it’s going on,” Thind said. “I’m pretty excited to see the response.”
At one point there was a debate if the festival should be cancelled, Thind said, but restaurants felt there was a need to showcase local businesses that have been hit hard by the economic fallout of COVID-19, while providing Cochranites with great food.
“Businesses need help, restaurants especially need big help— I think this is a great way for people to go out and enjoy their favourite meal, plus there is excitement to win something out of it,” Thind said. “It’s a win-win situation for everybody.”
There are amazing restaurants in Cochrane, and Thind said he hopes people from Cochrane and the surrounding area have a chance to visit and participate in Taste of Cochrane.
The goal of the festival is to drum up attention for restaurants in Cochrane while celebrating the important place they hold in the community.
It is more important than ever to shop local and support restaurants, Thind added, because they were one of the first ones to feel the full economic impact of COVID-19.
Opa! of Greece The Quarry owner Daljit Bagri is one of the many restaurant owners participating in the Taste of Cochrane.
“It’s a great opportunity to give people exposure to our food,” she said. “Not everybody is aware that we're here, we’re still pretty new.”
The Taste of Cochrane serves as a positive way for Cochranites to explore the culinary scene in town, she said.
Opa! participated in last year’s event and was pleased to see the Taste of Cochrane would still be taking place during COVID-19.
It is especially important to celebrate local restaurants during COVID-19 because many restaurants and businesses are at a tipping point of economic devastation, making community support more important than ever.
“I think it’s great that those members of Cochrane that have been able to support business during this time— Hopefully we can continue to keep growing, not just my business, but all businesses,” Bagri said. “The last thing anybody wants to see is another dark space— People have worked so hard at getting new businesses into Town and if everybody can just keep doing their part ... Supporting even once a week is better than nothing.”
It is great to see the rich selection of restaurants in the festival from cultural touchstones in the community to newer restaurants that opened in 2020, Bagri said, and the list of participants can serve as a guide to exploring Cochrane’s culinary scene.
“It’s nice it’s an inexpensive way of actually getting your business name out there,” Bagri said. “This exposure is great.”
