A 504-page tribute to the people and flavours of London, Ontario, featuring recipes from local chefs and farmers' stories to help the city rekindle its pride in its culinary community.
HARDCOVER AND DIGITAL / 504 PAGES / 9” X 11” / 135+ RECIPES / AUGUST 2018 / 2300 COPIES / PRINTED IN CANADA
Creative direction, media production, photography, design, and writing
504
full colour pages
101
cooks and producers
68
photoshoots
943
props used
2300
hardcover copies
20
months in development
*The hardcover copies are Sold Out but you can still get the eBook.
The project was awarded Gourmand Third Best in the World under “Best Digital Book” and Canadian Winner under “Best Self-published Cookbook” in English in Canada 2019. Independent Publisher Book Awards Gold medal under “General Cookbooks,” and International Book Awards Winner under “International Cookbooks in 2019.”
Purpose
With the rise of agri-tourism, it is now common to hear of friendly farmers opening the doors to their farms for field tours or inventive chefs organizing dinners in remote locations to offer real countryside culinary experiences. These trailblazers are leading the contemporary culinary scene by rethinking the food chain, protecting the environment, and adding their voices to a collective Canadian agricultural narrative.
The Forest City Cookbook spotlighted London’s food voices while empowering chefs and farmers to implement new ideas that safeguard time-honored ways of life. It was a project of unwavering collaboration and community spirit driven by a desire to help preserve culinary techniques, heritage animal breeds, and historically-relevant cultivars in the region.
Process
Our team conceptualized the vision and brand image for the project before approaching local culinary professionals. Each chef developed and tested their recipes following specific guidelines for ingredients, course, and complexity so we could create a well-balanced book.
We then established the production schedules, style guides, and image drafts, coordinated the photoshoots, sourced the props, and edited the recipes into a consistent format.
The initiative was a large-scale community project that mobilized many organizations, businesses, and individuals, all of whom were covered through blog posts and social media posts.
Stories
-
Alex Martin • Ali Assaf • Andrew Wolwowicz • Angie Murphy • Barbara Czyz • Brian Sua-an • Bryan Lavery • Carla Cooper • Chad Stewart • Chandany Chen • Christian Vemb • Cliff Briden • Dave Lamers • Dacha Markovic • Dan Riggin • Dave Coulter • Dave Ripley • David Chapman • Elvis Drennan • Gregg Wolfe • Jamie Griffiths • Jason Astels • Jill Wilcox • John Pacheco • Josh Sawyer • Julianna Guy • Justin Wolfe • Katherine Jones • Kris Simmons • Kristian Crossen • Kyle Rose • Luke Gauvin • Matt Kershaw • Matt Rice • Meaghan Biddle • Michele Lenhardt • Mike Anglestad • Smithy Smith • Paul Harding • Ricardo Cavaco • Rick Hunt • Rob Howland • Scott Wesseling • Shannon Kamins • SHauna Versloot • Shaune McNamara • Stefan Pellman • Tabitha Switzer • Thomas Waite • Time Drew • Vijay Laraine • Wade Fitzgerald • Wayne and Jocelyn DeGroot • Wenhong Wang • Yoda Olinyk • Zoran Sehovac
-
Great Lakes Apple Farm • Mazak Farms • Clear Creek Farms • Hopcona Farms • Field Fresh Farms • Blueberry Hill • Heeman's • Blanbrook Bison • Common Ground Farm • Little Sisters Chicken • Applemeadow • Three Ridges Ecological Farm • Orchard Hill Farm • Jackson's Fish • The Culinary Farm • Edible Acres • Loco Fields • Sleger's Organic Living Greens • Shogun Maitake • Esad Kovacevic • Kawthoolei Farm Organics • Wildflowers Honey • Ira Stoll and H.O.P.E Eco Market • Dancey Family Farm • Crinklaw Maple • Perth Pork Products • Sungold Organics • Vandenborre Fruit Farm • Red Barn Fruit Farm • Little Fields Farm • Hasbeans • Patrick's Beans • Habitual Chocolate
-
Brett Carragher • Eunice Betherton • Laila Brandt • Tamara David • Teresa Answorth • Thomas Renier
Hospitality London
We believe in projects that help achieve community transformation. The Forest City City Cookbook positively impacted the perception and pride in the local culinary scene and its champions. The project supported the mission and vision of the local tourism operators, who are dedicated to developing new products and experiences that improve the resilience and economic viability of the tourism ecosystem. It also helped the creation of industry partnerships and attracted visitors from near and far to enjoy the warm, genuine hospitality of the City of London.
Team
Creative direction, media production, photography and design by Alieska Robles
Prop Styling and design support by Amanda DeVries
Writing support and editing by Bryan Lavery
Communications and partners relations by Brian Blatnicki
Farmers network by Chad Stewart
Tech and funding support by Carl Matthes
Partners
Grateful for the support of the 751 individuals and 31 businesses and organizations who helped fund this project.
