(Image credit: CFJC News)

By Sydney Chisholm

CHILI COOK OFF

North Shore Chili Cook-Off heats up chilly Kamloops

Feb 4, 2025 | 5:27 PM

KAMLOOPS– In the midst of freezing temperatures, the North Shore Business Improvement Association (NSBIA) is bringing the heat to Kamloops with its third annual Chili Cook-Off. This year’s competition is bigger and spicier than ever, featuring eight local restaurants vying for the title of best chili on the North Shore.

“We’re up to eight restaurants this year, and I had to cut it off as much as I didn’t want to. But we have eight amazing restaurants,” said Patti Phillips, NSBIA Cook-Off Coordinator. “Everybody’s got something a little bit different with all of their chilis, which I love. I love the creativity of all the chefs.”

From traditional, homestyle recipes to bold, Asian-inspired creations, this year’s entries promise a diverse range of flavours to tantalize the tastebuds of Kamloops residents.

According to Phillips, the cook-off is about more than chili — it’s a community event that brings people together.

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Steven Shenkeveld, a self-proclaimed chili enthusiast, notes, “I’m a foodie, so I like the fact that Kamloops is doing it. It’s hard to beat chili when it’s cold and it’s really cold this week, so, yeah, it’s good. And every year, it seems to improve.”

Courtney Schalm from Harvest Moon Bakery said she was excited to see so many community members participate, for their first year in the competition.

“I’ve been impressed at how many people are actually coming by with their scorecards to try each one,” said Schalm. “They’re really getting involved and getting excited about it, which is exactly what we want to see.”

For participating restaurants, the cook-off is more than just a competition — it’s an opportunity to connect with the community and showcase their culinary skills. Ken Hunter, Kitchen Manager at Bailey’s Pub, explains what winning would mean to his team: “It’d mean a lot of pride for my kitchen that prepared the recipe. You know, since it was a collaboration of everybody, I think it would mean a lot to my staff.”

Last year’s winner, Jason Carey, head chef at Barside Lounge, is back to defend his title. This year, he’s bringing an innovative twist to the competition.

“This year, I went with kind of an Asian-inspired theme. The base of it is a Korean chili paste. Got some nice fresh veg in there… The protein is a marinated skirt steak. And then I have char siu, which is a Chinese barbecue pork,” he told CFJC News.

Kamloops residents still have time to join in on the fun. Here’s how you can participate:

• Pick up a scorecard at any participating restaurant
• Taste the chili entries
• Drop off your completed scorecard by closing time on Thursday

Patti Phillips adds an extra incentive.

“Friday afternoon at 1:00 we meet at Bright Eye Brewing. We will award the plaque and the bragging rights, which they really want to the chef in the restaurant who wins. Also, if you go to every single restaurant, you go to all eight, your name will go into a draw and you could win an envelope full of gift certificates from all of the restaurants. It’s like date night for like months.”

(Image Credit: NSBIA)