Canada鈥檚 top chefs will don the classic white uniforms born from the kitchens of 19th Century France and turn up the heat in the Okanagan this weekend, showcasing their technical skills and artistry for the Gold Plates championship.

But to many who keep a close watch on the local culinary scene, it鈥檚 how those 11 competing chefs connect the haute cuisine those uniforms call to mind with this community鈥檚 natural bounty that鈥檚 most interesting.

The Canadian Culinary Championships have become a yearly tradition in 91大黄鸭, and they carved out a niche at the perfect time.

Thanks to the likes of the Food Network the democratization of food culture has washed across the western world, alongside a widespread focus on the details of food production, creating a demand for a new breed of artisinal food producer.

The  agricultural conditions in the Okanagan were always ripe for exploration, but the birth of a thriving wine industry is what gave way to an impressive culinary scene, and  a new lease on old agricultural wealth, explained James Chatto, an internationally renowned food writer based out of Toronto and head judge of the weekend鈥檚 competition.

鈥淲ineries come first then they look for a away to bring tourists to the actual winery,鈥� Chatto said. 鈥淭hat starts with a barbecue in the vineyard, then a restaurant, then another restaurant down the street.鈥�

And, as those restaurants grow a client base, chefs strike up relationships with local food providers鈥攃heese, veg and meat鈥� and innovation in the kitchen grows.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a pattern I have seen across Canada. Once chefs realize that their customers appreciate that they found something local and seasonal, it creates a wonderful self-perpetuating energy,鈥� said Chatto.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen it in Toronto, Newfoundland and now here鈥攖he scale is different, but the impetus is the same.鈥�

Jennifer Schell has written three cookbooks, two of which have won international gourmand awards, that focus on local cuisine. Her first edition of  The Butcher, the Baker, the wine and cheese maker came out in 2012, and a new edition with of the same title, with the addition of 鈥渋n the Okanagan鈥� has recently been released.

The difference between the two books, Schell said, is the most recent edition delves into new relationships that local chefs have built with small scale artisanal food providers.

鈥淪ince the first book, the food, wine and farm scene has really evolved 鈥攅specially the farm scene,鈥� she said.

鈥淭here are lots of young farmers working with chefs and experimenting with crops鈥�These new farmers are young guys who can鈥檛 afford land. They鈥檙e not the kids of farmers who inherited land, they want to farm, work the land and homestead鈥攁nd do it on a small scale.鈥�

There鈥檚 a Summerland farmer who area chefs work with. Of note last year, he experimented with growing peanuts from a small plot of land he leases.

In 91大黄鸭 there鈥檚 Curtis Stone, who鈥檚 small scale farming endeavour on borrowed land keeps local greens in some of best restaurants in the city.

鈥淔or chefs it鈥檚 almost like they have to start cooking and using local ingredients,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he customers are expecting it.鈥�

And customers are starting to arrive in the Okanagan from far and wide.

鈥淲henever I say I am going to 91大黄鸭 in February, people understand the appeal of it鈥攖here鈥檚 the food, the wine and the spirits,鈥� Chatto said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 really a growing awareness about 91大黄鸭.鈥�

Having some of the country鈥檚 best food writers in town for the championships is a boon to the economic powerhouse of 91大黄鸭 tourism, too.

鈥淲hen we arrive, we have a nice number of days, and the Tourism 91大黄鸭 people arrange whole day tours, they take us to five or six farms, a little distillery and some wineries,鈥� said Chatto.

鈥淲e are aware of the wineries, but not of the small artisnal farmers and producers who are sometimes right in town, and it鈥檚 quite enchanting for us.鈥�

Chris Shauf, Tourism 91大黄鸭鈥檚 director of marketing and communications, explained that his organization is aggressive in getting international attention focused on the natural wealth of 91大黄鸭, and this weekend鈥檚 championship goes a long way in doing that, by bringing chefs, foodies and food writers to the area.

鈥淓vents like the Canadian Culinary Championships align with our mandate,鈥� Shauf said.

鈥淭here was a time that people would travel in hopes of finding good food along the way, and now they are travelling because they know good food is there when they get there.鈥�

To really cultivate the message that the Okanagan is a foodie paradise among a wider audience, Tourism 91大黄鸭 last year hosted dozens of media from across the province and the country, to showcase restaurants, breweries and cideries, in hopes that they would showcase their discoveries to their readers.

鈥淔ood is something that everyone is interested in,鈥� said Chatto.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a great leveller in terms of culture. Not a lot of knowledge is needed to start and it grows as you  go.鈥�

The 2016 Canadian Culinary Championships are presented by Deloitte.

Tickets for events can be purchased online at www.goldmedalplates.com or by calling 647-328-0149.

Who's competing and who's helping

Representing 91大黄鸭 will be Okanagan College culinary and pastry arts students who will lend their help to the 11 competing chefs.

鈥淓xperiencing 91大黄鸭 as a culinary epicentre with Canada鈥檚 best chefs descending on the city to battle it out is unique,鈥� said Chef Bernard Casavant, culinary manager at Okanagan College and president of the Okanagan Chefs Association.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a prime opportunity for the students to showcase the skills learned in class in a competition environment and allows them to network with some of Canada鈥檚 best chefs at a time when they are looking to launch their careers.鈥�

For two days, starting Feb. 5, the college鈥檚 kitchens at the 91大黄鸭 campus will become a culinary battlefield with peeling, slicing, dicing, and searing taking place in preparation of the weekend鈥檚 events.

The chefs prep their dishes at the college for Friday鈥檚 mystery wine pairing event at the Delta Grand Hotel and spend all of Saturday morning competing in the Black Box event at the College.

The finale event is held Saturday evening at the Delta Grand Hotel.

With tickets sold out, those hungry to view the dynamic Black Box Challenge can catch the live feed online.

A link will be released prior to the start of the competition at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning on Twitter: @GoldMedalPlates.

For more information on Gold Medal Plates events, visit  goldmedalplates.com.

The competing chefs

Representing British Columbia:

Alex Chen, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar

Calgary: Matthew Batey, The Nash Restaurant & Off Cut Bar

Edmonton: Jan Trittenbach,  Solstice Seasonal Cuisine

Regina:

Jonathan Thauberger,  Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar

Saskatoon: Darren Craddock,  Riverside Country Club

Winnipeg: Norm Pastorin, The Cornerstone Bar & Restaurant

Toronto: Stuart Cameron, Byblos

Ottawa: Marc Lepine, Atelier

Montreal: Guillaume Cantin, Les 400 Coups

St. John鈥檚:

Roger Andrews, Relish Gourmet Burgers

Halifax:  Martin Ruiz Salvador, Fleur de Sel, Lunenburg