A number of chefs will participate in the Pig-Out at Covert Farms north of Oliver on Saturday, April 30. Visitors can pair local wines with food prepared by the region’s best chefs. File photo by Richard McGuire
Sunshine; wine; heaps of great food; and a pig roasting on a spit. There’s usually a lot going on at the annual Pig-Out festival at Covert Farms, and this year promises to be no different.
According to Tony Munday, the president of the Oliver-Osoyoos Winery Association, this year’s roast will be the biggest one yet, as 600 people pack into the festival grounds to watch (and taste) as nine different local chefs put pork and beef to plate in a smorgasbord of culinary creations.
“These chefs will be testing their culinary talent by putting the two most well-known hoofed types of meats—pork and beef—snout to snout in a competition to see who is the best protein,” Munday says.
Munday explained that each year the festival chooses a different theme to test the chefs. In the past, chefs have been asked to pair pork and seafood (during the “if pigs could swim” themed event) and poultry (for the “if pigs could fly” theme).
This year, Munday explains, each chef will use pork, beef, or both, to adhere to the “if pigs could moo” theme. The dishes remain a surprise to the day of the festival, but will be designed to pair with one of the association’s 39 member wineries, who will be serving up the vino at the festival.
Attendees need only bring an empty stomach, as they can spend the afternoon wandering Covert Farms’ vineyards sampling wine and food as they see fit.
“You come, you pay your ticket fee and get in, and you eat and drink until the event is over. It’s a great time,” Munday said.
Along with the food and wine, the festival will also feature the talent of local rockers Montoya, as well “lots to do for the kids,” including Covert’s giant bouncy pillow and rolling tube.
According to Munday, local cheese makers will also be on site, and anyone looking to get airborne can book a helicopter ride from the site for $50.
This year, the Pig-Out is set for April 30, from 1-4 p.m. Munday says tickets are selling fast, so anyone hoping to snatch up a last-minute spot at the festival should head to the Oliver Visitor Centre, or visit OliverOsoyoos.com online.
By Trevor Nichols
