Chefs battle for top tasting poutine at annual festival

Curds flew as hungry New Brunswickers ate their way to declaring the best poutine in town this weekend. The rest of the event was just gravy.

5 vendors bring their best poutine to the show to be voted on by hungry poutine lovers

Shane Fowler · CBC News · Posted: Apr 02, 2016 6:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: April 2, 2016

Meat, cheese and gravy come together as several poutine entries at the Fredericton Poutine Festival battle it out for taste-buds at the sold-out show. (Shane Fowler/CBC)

Curds flew as hungry New Brunswickers ate their way to declaring the best poutine in town this weekend.

The rest of the event was just gravy.

The sold out Fredericton Poutine Festival featured five vendors battle for taste buds and packed bellies full of fries at the fourth annual event.

Past winner Michelle Hanrahan of Macs Fish and Chips said her team have been preparing to take back the title like their fries depended on it.

"When we won before all we had before was the canteen at the ice rink and we won " said Hanrahan.

Michelle Hanrahan of Mac's Fish and Chips won the very first poutine festival title. She and her team are back to take the title this year with their bacon cheese burger poutine entry (Shane Fowler/CBC)

"Now we mean business."

To try and beat the competition Hanrahan brought 50 litres of gravy, 40-lbs of homemade brisket, and 50-lbs of ground beef to the event to build their bacon-cheeseburger poutine entry.

"We've got our own special seasoning," said Hanrahan. "And some smoked cheddar cheese that we made in our smoker at home on our patio. Our neighbours love us."

Crowne Plaza chef, Chris Campbell, prepares the host venues poutine entry, a Halifax donair poutine (Shane Fowler/CBC)

"We entered a donair poutine," said Matt MacKenzie, executive chef of the host venue at the Crowne Plaza Lord Beaverbrook hotel.

"The donair meat is made with local valley beef, made here at the Crowne Plaza, we made the donair sauce, charred tomatoes with house-made triple-blanched fries and squeaky cheese."

Anessa Gordon, who is eating poutine for two, says the piles of poutine is just what she needed.

"I normally go to beer fest," said Gordon. "But since I'm pregnant this year, I decided to try out poutine-fest instead. And by far my favourite is the Halifax donair poutine."

The event also brought in craft beers and cider vendors to help wash down those piles of poutine.

MacKenzie says the public reaction to the festival is something special.

"I'm from Nova Scotia, but I've never seen a town love poutine so much.