Harrowsmith – September 2019

228

TRAVEL & CULTURE: WHY WE LOVE AYR

tradedinforcuttingboards

andknives.

Theacademyisheadedby

executivechefMurrayZehr,who

hasownedandoperatedeight

restaurantsandwasinvolved

withtheFoodNetwork’s

ChoppedCanadaTVseries.He

hasslicedanddicedforthehigh-

profilelikesofPrinceCharles,

GordonRamseyandEmeril

Lagasse.Hisentrepreneurial

rootswillcomeasnosurprise:

hisgrandfatherwasClifford

Zehr,founderofZehrs

supermarkets.

Atthe 1909 Culinary

Academy,therurallocation

allowsfora hands-onapproach

forburgeoningchefs.Onthe

one-acreproperty,students

learntogrowtheirownmenu

andcultivatevitalskillsinrow

gardening,greenhousestocks,

raisedbeds,verticalgardensand

aquaculture.Theorganicbeef,

lamb,porkandpoultryusedare

allremarkablyraisedwithina

mileortwo.

Studentslearnhowtouse

theon-sitewood-firedpizza

ovenandsmoker,developtheir

cheesemakingandbutchery

skillsandpractisesouthern

barbecuetechniques(mopsand

sauces),aswellashavea handin

charcuterieandsausagemaking.

Participantsintheacademy’s

Block1 programcanconsider

completingBlock 2 attheIsland

SteepleCulinaryAcademyin

PrinceEdwardIsland.

Fordabblersandweekendsous

chefs,MurrayZehrhasdesigned

part-timeclassesandcampsfor

allagesandpalates,froma taco

daycampforkidstoa Travelto

Thailandclasswithgreencurry

andricewrapsonthemenu.

the1909culinaryacademy.ca

WILLIBALD FARM DISTILLERY
AND KITCHEN

BROGAN MCNAB (WILLIBALD FARM DISTILLERY AND KITCHEN); JORDAN VAN DER HEYDEN (WILLIBALD BOTTLE)