Burger Fest 2023 raises over $10,500

Funds will be donated to the Colchester Food Bank

TRURO — Restaurants in Truro have just concluded their ninth-annual Burger Fest, and the numbers indicate it was a resounding success. From Feb. 20 to March 4, restaurants put unique burgers up for sale, with $2 from every burger sold going towards a fundraising pool that, once collected, would be offered to a community organization.

This year, the event raised $10,502 that will be donated to the Colchester Food Bank to help keep their shelves stocked in a time of increased use.

Derek Forsyth, owner of the Nook and Cranny and facilitator of Burger Fest, said he and other restauranteers started the event to help drive business during the winter time. Since then, it's turned into a massive fundraising success.

"We've stuck with 10 to 12 (restaurants) for the last few years, but over the last four or five, we've always raised over $10,000," said Forsyth. "For the first eight years, we gave back to the Truro Housing Outreach Society.

"We just decided there are so many causes out there, you don't know which one to help out, and we know how much everybody's struggling with food costs. So, we did a 90-degree turn and gave it all to the Colchester Food Bank this year."

Forsyth believes the money "will go a long way to help a lot of people."

Shelly Deviller, executive director of the Colchester Food Bank, agreed.

"It helps us put food on the shelves," said Deviller. "The other component of what we do to help combat food insecurity is programming, so it will help with that, as well.

"Most of the programming we do comes from grants, so it helps to keep staff employed to be able to run that programming. The more we teach people how to grow their food, cook their food, preserve their food, the more that's going to help with food insecurity."

Deviller noted they've seen a sharp increase in the food bank's use.

"Food banks are in the situation where we could use the help. Inflation is going up, and we continue to see our numbers rise. I've said before we were somewhere around an eight per cent increase per month of brand new people using the food bank. Last month was 13 per cent.

"When we get money coming in from the community with something like Burger Fest, it's really going to help us."

THE BURGERS

Forsyth spoke of the different burgers that were available for purchase, including the Nook and Cranny's own 'Dream Burger,' which contained housemade ranch hot sauce, cheddar cheese, lettuce, bacon and crushed Sweet Chili Heat Doritos, all between a brioche bun.

He had the opportunity to try other burgers in town, including one from the Bistro on Prince, part of the Inn on Prince, which contained onion rings, white cheddar, tomato, and romaine lettuce on a brioche bun with barbeque sauce.

He also tried Bistro 22's burger, which contained pulled pork on a hamburger patty with apple slaw barbeque sauce.

'There were so many good burgers," said Forsyth. "They're like that every year."

Even local coffee chain Aroma Maya had its own burger in the form of a donut.

"It's hard because we're such a small group and we don't have enough time to be able to do some large event," said Forsyth. "We just try our best to go to the people that we know support the event and the result is we raised $10,502 for the Colchester Food Bank."

Forsyth hopes to be able to continue Burger Fest well into the future.

"It's just one of those things that we do every year. It's fun," said Forsyth. "It's just fun. People get excited. They know $2 from every burger is going to charity. The restaurant owners are excited, they're happy to cut a cheque.

"It's just right," he added. "We need to stay connected with our community, and one way we do it is Burger Fest."