It is with mixed emotions and not without many hours of discussions that a 30-year long tradition must come to an end. Not many events/organizations can proudly end 30 years on a high as we did last year. We are not saying that FEASTival is disappearing forever, but in the current environment we have had to evaluate the economics of the operation Hopefully if conditions change we will find a way to highlight the creativity and skills of our chefs and the quality of the food that we produce in Alberta.
AFPA and the processing and restaurant industries have had 30 wonderful and very successful years of FEASTival of Fine Chefs. We have for the last few years been looking to bring the event into a more stable dimension. The odds for a continued run of success without some tweeks has eroded with diminished resources. AFPA has been forced to downsize, and is unable to provide the required support to successfully manage the event. Also, there have been mixed reviews from establishments on their continuing participation since their costs have gone up substantially. Over the last four years, we have pressed to find ways to enhance the event, find additional sponsors, look for other revenue sources, find cost saving measures, spread the workload and make it a solid and profitable endeavor that would continue into the future. We have not been successful in this regard and that has brought us to the need to make this most difficult decision.
We would like to sincerely thank each and everyone that participated over the years as we could not have done it without you - establishments; patrons; sponsors or product / auction donor -- you were all very important to the success of FEASTival. And a very special thanks to our very dedicated FEASTival Committee for their contributions throughout the years.
If you do require further information please do reach out melody@afpa.com or to AFPA's Chair eric@sunrise-bakery.com