Love of burgers spills over during Burger Love

With a total of 1,005 Burger Love dishes sold between August 26th and September 4th, participants are already looking forward to next year’s event.

“The response has been fantastic,” said Patrick Larose, from the Taste Buds. “The restaurants always do a great job. But the community really showed their support for this event. Out of all the events we’ve hosted in the past, this one had the most burger votes and burger sales, which makes it the most successful one yet.”

After tallying votes, the winner of the 2020 People’s Choice Burger is Gaetan’s Chip Stand with the ‘Heart Stopper.’ An honourable mention is extended to Tilly’s Eatery & Delicatessen for coming in a very close second with The Drama Burger.

This year’s judging panel was comprised of Bill Hallman (of Boom 101.9 and The Happy Popcorn Co.), Chelsea Jodoin (of The Cornwall Local), Justine Viray-Levac (of Schnitzels European Flavours), Cameron Forrester (of ForresterFilms) and Kevin Lajoie (of Cornwall Tourism). After spending an entire day of gorging on seven, mouth-watering dishes and much deliberation, the 2020 Judge’s Choice Burger is Lancaster Pizzeria’s ‘The Italiano’ Burger.

“Special thanks to the restaurants for doing such a great job and to Cornwall Tourism for sponsoring our event,” said Matthew Girgis, from the TASTE BUDS.

All restaurants involved offered a unique and socially safe experience, maintaining COVID-19 guidelines, while still bringing the community together.

“Our customers really enjoyed it,” said Troy Paquette, co-owner of Brunch on Pitt. “It brought new customers in, and a bunch of people were trying different places (involved in Burger Love).”

For participants like Terry Suave, owner of Gaetan’s Chip Stand, creating a unique burger was just as enjoyable as eating one.

“It was great, we had a lot of fun. We made a competition with it in house,” explained Sauve.

Not only did each of Sauve’s employees face off to see which could sell the most burgers, all eight Gaetan’s Chip Stand locations submitted an idea for the Burger Love entry.

“(I) made each location design a burger themselves…(then I) decided on one item from each location’s (burger) so everyone had a part in it. We all worked at it as a team, all 65 employees, and put everyone’s opinion in it,” said Sauve, who is also proud to announce the grand opening of a new location in Glen Walter this week.

Sauve, much like Adam Kluver, owner of Lancaster Pizzeria, was very satisfied with the advertising seen during Burger Love.

“I always get a lot of community support,” said Kluver, reflecting on winning People’s Choice four years in a row in previous year’s competitions.

Jason Shoot of Séguin Patate and Jennifer Desnoyers of Simply Jennifer both took pride in staying on brand with their 2020 entries.

“Overall it was a great experience,” said Shoot. “It’s just fun you know, to see the whole team and the great group of judges.”

“We offered something completely different, an alternative for people,” said Desnoyers, reflecting on her entry promoting inclusivity for individuals with various dietary needs and choices.

Tilly’s Eatery & Delicatessen and Truffles Burger Bar also raised the bar and turned heads with their epic creations, the Drama Burger and the Cherry Blossom Burger.

Stay tuned!

Taste Buds is hoping to launch another food event in late October or early November, as well as planning for some new and fun ideas for 2021.

Keep up to date by checking out the Taste Buds website and following them on Instagram and Facebook.

Play it safe!

We all have a part to play in combating the spread of COVID-19. Residents are encouraged to wear masks in indoor public spaces and practice frequent hand washing and physical distancing. For the latest guidelines and restrictions related to COVID-19, please visit the Eastern Ontario Health Unit website.

Keep exploring!

Looking for other fun things to do in Cornwall? Check out the Explore section of our website for other fun-filled activities to keep you busy. Better yet, consider extending your stay with a night at one of our great accommodations!