Taste of Nova Scotia Sets The Table For Success

NOTE: Nova Scotia "Come to life" is a public-private sector initiative that markets Nova Scotia as an excellent place in which to live, work, invest, play and visit. The following feature story was written by Michelle Lucas.

It's a fact Nova Scotia can't deny.

There are many great things about this province. The accessibility to the rest of the world. The innovative research and development that is constantly evolving. The highly educated workforce that comes from the many universities has earned the province the reputation of Canada's education capital.

But for many people, when they hear Nova Scotia they still think lobster.

"You have to embrace it. You can't fight that tie," says Janice Ruddock, executive director of Taste of Nova Scotia. "What you can do is encourage and make people understand that it doesn't just have to be lobster and potato salad."

Ruddock spends her days doing just that.

Taste of Nova Scotia aims to promote and build business for some of Nova Scotia's finest restaurants, food producers and processors. The non-profit organization works to ensure member businesses and products become top choices for local and visiting consumers through initiatives such as the Taste of Nova Scotia restaurant guide.

"I try to be out talking with members as much as possible," Ruddock says. "Besides that, I've been developing a marketing plan, looking for key partners and also looking at a few new business ideas ... and that's all been this morning. It's all about finding opportunities to market our members."

Taste of Nova Scotia was developed in 1989 to promote quality restaurants in the province. In 1995, processors and producers recognized that their products should also be promoted, and formed a second Taste of Nova Scotia. The organizations operated independently for 11 years before both united in January.

"So today we are one for the first time in 18 years," Ruddock says.

Now the organization has 112 members, but Ruddock would like to see more members who meet the quality standards set out by the Association.

"There is a certain membership criteria to belong to Taste of Nova Scotia," Ruddock explains. "You have to provide an authentic Nova Scotian experience; it has to be all about Nova Scotian foods. It's very much quality driven.

"It's very unique actually in Canada. There's lots of 'tastes' out there. There's a taste of Ireland, there's a taste of Scotland. But we're the only ones who really hone in on the quality aspect of it."

Members must also operate successfully for one year to gain membership. And you won't find any chains in the Taste of Nova Scotia restaurant guide. The Nova Scotian experience is key to the membership.

"We would look at your menu. We would want to make sure you're sourcing as many Nova Scotian products as possible and featuring Nova Scotia items on your menu," she says.

She also explains how people are important to a true Nova Scotian experience. "You'll probably talk to the owner when you walk in (a Nova Scotia restaurant). You will see that there will be a definite passion of having you in that restaurant."

When it comes to producers and processors, the Nova Scotian advantage is also clear. Having such a variety of foods so close is not a common thing across the country. "I lived in Ontario. There aren't really that many foods that are indigenous to Ontario. But here there are very much specific foods that are a passion of the culture," Ruddock says.

As a coastal community, seafood is a prime example.

"In Ontario, fresh fish, to me, was a block of frozen High Liner. Here, I don't have to wait for the shipment to come in. I know it's fresh."

And freshness counts. Even though most Nova Scotian foods can be found or produced in other parts of the world, Nova Scotia has a definite advantage.

"Although we have some unique recipes here, it’s the quality of Nova Scotia ingredients that make the difference."Anything I say is a bit unique, well, your going to find it somewhere else," Ruddock says. "Blueberry grunt. An amazing product. Anyone in the world can make it, but I think we make it better because we have the best wild blueberries here."

Ruddock is using this advantage to pursue several exciting opportunities. The trend of culinary tourism is taking off and Taste of Nova Scotia has many ideas of how to get involved. Ruddock describes culinary tourism as having visitors build vacations around the culinary experience. That includes things like culinary tours, and different restaurants and farm gates. "We want to make sure that culinary is right on the top of the mind of a visitor," she says.

Ruddock is also travelling to spread the word.

"I was just in Boston a couple weeks ago for a tourism event and I would take my Taste of Nova Scotia guide and tell people this is where you get an authentic Nova Scotian experience. You will not find a chain restaurant in this guide." You will not find a Montanas, or Jack Astors."

Substantial travel has reinforced Ruddock's feeling that Nova Scotia culinary products surpasses the competition. During a recent trip to Boston, Ruddock and a colleague asked Bostonians where the best place to eat was, excluding chains. She went to a restaurant that many people had recommended.

"Food was good. Met my expectations," she says. "But if I made my list of the top five places in Halifax, that place wouldn't have even made it." It met expectations, but it didn't have the flavour of 5 Fishermen, or McKelvies."

Ruddock says there are many advantages to operating in Nova Scotia, in addition to culinary.

"It's a lot of fun to do business here. The people are great," she says. "It's a lot more sincere here. You know what you're getting."

And she doesn't miss the traffic in Ontario. "Trying to get on the 401 at 20 after six. If you didn't make it on the 401 at 6:20, if you were on the 401 at 6:28, you were caught, and in for a two-hour drive," she says. "Everyone says Nova Scotia has such an easier pace. I don't particularly find it slower here. I've never found that. I think why they say slow is just because the traffic's not there, it's not this rushing around because you just sat in traffic for 2 hours."

She also appreciates the entrepreneurial sprit of the province.

"You can go open a business on Younge Street in Toronto and you don't have to do much because of the amount of traffic that will just naturally pass by your business. And that's pretty easy. Here, you have to work at it, you have to be entrepreneurial, you have to be creative."

But despite all the good things about Nova Scotia, she still feels that there is work to be done to get people to recognize the culinary benefits. "What I want for Nova Scotia is the bragging rights," she says with a laugh. "We're the best-kept secret going, but you know what? That's just no fun. I want to hear 'I'm going to Halifax. They have such great restaurants there.'"

And with new opportunities and markets emerging, Ruddock is up for the challenge.

"It's great. There's so much to do, so much opportunity and we can't move fast enough."