MISSISSAUGA, ON (06/03/2019) – RATIONAL, the leading manufacturer of combi technology, is pleased to announce it is the recipient of a prestigious 2019 Kitchen Innovations® award for its UltraVent Plus portfolio of ventless hoods.

The National Restaurant Association ® Show Kitchen Innovations (KI) awards recognize progressive equipment that advances the way commercial kitchens operate. A fifteen-year tradition in the industry, the KI award program has earned a reputation for defining the gold standard of foodservice equipment innovation.

Delivering greater value and benefit to customers is a key driver of the RATIONAL innovation tradition. Since launching the first RATIONAL combi-steamer in 1976, the company has vigorously pursued research and development projects to improve commercial kitchen operations.

The RATIONAL UltraVent Plus ventless hoods build upon this tradition. Relying upon recirculating venting technology the UltraVent Plus captures vapor, grease and lingering smoke enabling operators to install RATIONAL equipment in smaller kitchens and customer-engaging front cooking areas without investments in vented hoods. The UltraVent Plus hoods work for the popular RATIONAL SelfCookingCenter® Combi-Duo, or stacked combi oven configurations, and retrofitting on existing equipment also is possible.

“Since its launch, the UltraVent Plus and proven enormously popular,” said Markus Glueck, executive vice president for RATIONAL North America. “Kitchen consultants and customers alike are impressed with its performance, flexibility and cost-savings potential.”

The RATIONAL UltraVent Plus ventless hood will stand among the 2019 KI recipients in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Showroom, booth #2440, at the 2019 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show®, on May 18-21, 2019 in Chicago at McCormick Place. RATIONAL USA invites show attendees to see the UltraVent Plus in action at the live cooking demonstrations held at the RATIONAL USA exhibit, booth #4260.

Burlington, March 5, 2019 – A team of pastry chefs are back in Canada with four Gold medals from the 4^th Festival International du Pain 2019 in Tunisia February 17-23.

Team Canada dominated in four categories Plated, Black Box, Champion of Bread and overall Team Gold. The competition attracted 15 countries. In the final round, Team Canada beat out a talented crew from Croatia.

Team Canada was led by Lasantha Mendis, a pastry chef who plans, prepares and serves food at Mount Logan Lodge in Fort McMurray. Other team members include: Chef Sujeewa Thalagala, Team Baker (Fort McMurray) and Chef Ruwan Jayakody, Coach and International Judge and Chef Dilup Attygalla, Media and Communications (Toronto).

“The judges really enjoyed our Maple Cinnamon Bun with Lavender Frosting. Our creations were beautiful and delicious, but I think we won because of our great teamwork. We were very organized, stuck to our game plan and used uniquely Canadian ingredients like smoked maple turkey bacon and maple syrup,” says Chef Mendis.

Festival International du Pain 2019 is endorsed by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS). The Canadian team was selected by the Canadian Federation of Chefs and Cooks (CCFCC) for their proven pastry and culinary skills. Mount Logan Lodge is operated by Birch River Site Services, a joint venture between Mikisew Group of Companies and Sodexo Canada who were sponsors of the Canadian team. 

“On behalf of Sodexo, we’re proud of Team Canada for bringing home an array of Gold medals. We’re fortunate to enjoy delicious pastry creations on a regular basis, and now we will savour them even more,” says Linsey Sirett, Sodexo District Manager.

TORONTO, ONTARIO, March 5, 2019—Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Canada (“Southern Glazer’s”)—a division of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the world's pre-eminent distributor of beverage alcohol—today announced the launch of a new wine division focused on growing the Company’s wine business across the Canadian market. The division includes a dedicated wine sales team, highly trained to sell and represent wine suppliers to on-premise and retail customer accounts.

“We have an enormous opportunity to grow the wine business with our extensive customer base in Canada,” said Doug Wieland, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Canada, for Southern Glazer’s. “Wine is an important part of our overall growth strategy in the market and we’ll continue to leverage our strength in this segment and make investments that bring even more focused attention to wine in Canada.”

“We have the most highly-trained salesforce in the industry,” commented Mel Dick, Senior Vice President of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and President of the Company’s Wine Division. “Our Wine Education team and the training we provide to our employees is second to none and allows us to better serve the needs of both our supplier partners and our customers.”  

Southern Glazer’s has made significant investments to position the Company as a leader in wine. Its industry-first Wine Education team works hand-in-hand with its selling divisions to bring highly-specialized resources supporting wine sales. The Company also has more certified wine experts than any other North American wine and spirits distributor. Its employees have successfully completed more than 8,000 wine, sake and spirits education programs, from introductory to master-level achievements.

“The new wine division is one of several new initiatives we’ll be launching to drive continued growth and long-term profitability in Canada,” added Scott Oppenheimer, President of Control States and Canada for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. “I’m excited to have this new dedicated wine team hit the streets and begin to serve our valued customers across our Canadian footprint.”

Sainte-Thérèse, March 4, 2019 – Cora Breakfast and Lunch, Canada’s breakfast leader, is proud to announce the opening of a new Cora restaurant in Winnipeg. The new restaurant, located at 845 Dakota Street, will be welcoming its first guests on Monday, March 11, 2019.

The official Grand Opening will take place on March 13, 2019. Pioneering founder Cora Tsouflidou and local owner-franchisees will welcome dignitaries and guests for a true celebration: the Egg-Cracking Ceremony, during which the first symbolic omelette in the restaurant will be made.  

The new location is part of a nationwide expansion of the Cora network, making it the 3^rd restaurant in Manitoba for the largest sit-down breakfast chain in Canada. Cora Breakfast and Lunch is also very pleased to announce the reopening of another one of its Winnipeg franchises. A true phoenix rising from the ashes, the Cora restaurant located at 840 Waverley Street reopened its doors on February 25 following a fire in 2018.

Madame Cora originated the concept in 1987 when, as a single mother of three in need of a career, she bought a small abandoned diner on Côte-Vertu Boulevard in Montreal’s St-Laurent area, focusing solely on breakfast (egg dishes, fresh fruit, cheese, cereal, omelettes, crêpes and French toast). The restaurant quickly became the talk of the town, often with lineups at the door. Madame Cora’s astute entrepreneurial instincts told her that this was a concept that could be franchised.

The Cora restaurant chain is famous for its breakfasts, boasting mounds of fresh fruit artfully prepared by specially trained on-site “fruiters.” Over the years, inspired by family traditions, customer requests and suggestions from her children, Madame Cora has conjured up more than 100 menu ideas, most of which still bear the names of the customers or family members who inspired her.