10-year-old promotes P.E.I. food with YouTube channel

Ten-year-old Rory Bennetto O'Brien is on a mission: He wants to give P.E.I. food producers and restaurants a leg up during the pandemic.

Last month, O'Brien launched the Ginger Food Adventures Youtube channel, reviewing Island food and restaurants. He said he did it in part because he knows restaurants on the Island are having a hard time, and he wants more people to hear about the great food P.E.I. has to offer.

"I want them to learn about, like, the different types of foods, and I want them to learn about supporting local businesses," he said.

"I want them to know that some local businesses, it's hard for them to get a lot of money because they're just in one space and they're not shipping to anywhere."

So far, O'Brien has reviewed Acadian râpure (also referred to as rappie pie) as prepared by his grandmother, a couple of Summerside bakeries, vegan cheese from Fauxmage, a chocolate croissant from Receiver Coffee, and Riverview Country market pickles. He's getting help from his mother creating the videos, and he says it is quite a lot of work.

"We take many takes," he said. "There's at least ten in each one."

So far most of the videos have been shot close to home, around Summerside and Borden-Carleton, but O'Brien said he plans to get out more across the Island in the coming weeks.

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