COVID-19 may have changed this year’s annual Countylicious event but it still brought in more than $7,500 for local charities.
The expanded event kicked off with four culinary events in September and October, followed by a prix fixe dining program at 18 County restaurants during the month of November.
The Countylicious Staycation Passport program raised $500 for Food to Share and its partnerships with local food banks.
The Countylicious culinary events in September and October raised funds for All Welcome Here, the PEC Syria Settlement Fund, and more than half of Parsons Brewing Company’s recent $10,000 donation to the Prince Edward Learning Centre.
Countylicious saw growth both in overall number of diners (7,132, up 36% from 2019) and overall spending in restaurants ($325,780, up 37% from 2019).
Half of the participating restaurants were involved in Countylicious for the first time.
“To pull off Countylicious during a pandemic required great flexibility, creativity and resilience on the part of the restaurateurs,” says Todd Davis, Director of Community Services, Programs and Initiatives. “By offering take-out meals and heat-and-serve options and investing in safety protocols for dine-in guests, The County’s restaurants were able to successfully continue the beloved Countylicious tradition.”
Diners were encouraged to feast their way through Countylicious, collecting stamps on their Countylicious Staycation Passport to win prizes sponsored by Stay PEC and the artisans of the Busy Hands Craft Show. The contest winners were Max Naiman and Steve Hyatt.
