Canada’s Great Kitchen Party

elevates and celebrates Canadian food

Canada’s Great Kitchen Party is the country’s premier national culinary competition. This year is especially important as we are celebrating our 20th anniversary, and guests are in for a very special treat! To honour our legacy and the contributions of the country’s best chefs, we are hosting All-Star Invitational competitions in 10 cities across Canada From St. John’s to Victoria.

Some of the top podium finishers from the past 20 years will receive invitations to compete and the winners will battle in the ultimate culinary showdown.

5 cities from the West: Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon will face off against 5 cities from the East: Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and St. John’s to decide which region can claim the title of best in the country.

In this 20th anniversary year, there is more than ever on the line, and the ultimate prize gets awarded to the All-Star team that surpasses all others, rises above the best and becomes the Canadian Culinary Champion.

The 2026 CCC Culinary Report Canada's Great Kitchen Party Food Guide
presented by MNP

The Invitation

Chris Johns, author, award-winning food writer, and our national head judge and culinary advisor, oversees the selection and judging process of the more than 70 competing chefs, each vying for that coveted trophy and a shot at the Canadian Culinary Championship.

The selection and invitation process for regional competitions takes place each spring with the assistance of our senior judges, who oversee panels representing the best, most knowledgeable and respected food professionals in their cities. Together, they represent the finest selection of culinary expertise ever assembled in Canada.

The Competition

This year’s selected All-Star chefs are, as always, invited to create an inspired dish that best showcases their particular style and pair it with a premier Canadian wine, beer or spirit. The chefs hone their creations and beverage pairings over many months, utilizing the best ingredients Canada has to offer, refining and perfecting each element until they are satisfied they’ve created something that is ready to present to our exacting guests and judges. Dishes are scored out of 100, with points given for taste, visual presentation, texture, technical achievement, beverage compatibility and wow factor. And in this milestone 20th year, the competition will be judged blind—where reputation is set aside and excellence stands alone.

*Chefs cannot customize dishes for the guests; however, we will clearly list common allergens (gluten, dairy, nuts, soy) on chef signage to help you enjoy the event safely.

The National Championship

This year, each city will produce two All-Star chef winners who will come together in the spirit of collaboration to represent their city on the national stage at the Canadian Culinary Championship. Held each year in the nation’s capital, these winners must be ready to get put through a grueling two-day, three-event grand finale to decide who will be the year’s ultimate champion.

To be invited to compete at the regional level in this 20th anniversary year is to be recognized as a chef who has already proven they have what it takes to compete and win. To stand on the podium is to be recognized as the very best this country has to offer. To win: a career-defining achievement!

THE IMPACT: Hundreds of Canada’s finest chefs have competed over the years with only a select few taking home the Championship trophy. Today, many of those chefs are back and battling for their city and for their region against the best from 9 other cities. The result, as both guests and judges can attest, is helping shape, elevate and define Canadian cuisine as a global force.

Guests of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party test their own palates against those of our esteemed judges as they vote for the People’s Choice winner. The results of this coveted prize are often surprising.