On October 27th, Eat to the Beat was once again held at Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall. The 2015 edition of this foodie-lovers-dream event marks its 20th year. Since its inception, over $3.7 million has been raised for Willow Breast and Hereditary Cancer Support, a non-for-profit organization offering peer support for anyone coping with breast cancer.

Sixty amazing female chefs came together offering their talent and time for the worthy cause, and to the delight of the food enthusiasts. With so many choices available, we simply could not sample everything, but from the items that we did try I definitely had some favourites. From the savoury side, the red curried poke bowl from The Drake Hotel‘s chefs Alexandra Feswick and Amberlynne Plourde was a standout. There were so many layers of flavour, from sweet to tart to spicy; it just tickled all of my taste buds. From the sweet side, I enjoyed the turtle cheesecake from Willow Cakes and Pastries‘ chef Catherine O’Donnell. They also produced one of my favourites from last year, and have participated in Eat to the Beat since its beginning. To complement the food, there was wine and beer, and even sake and whiskey to enjoy, along with non-alcoholic drinks.

 
In between all the eating, guests listened to live music from musicians and a DJ, participated in the silent auction, entered the raffle draw, and purchased mystery bags, some of which contained coveted items such as iPad minis. Guests also chatted with breast cancer survivors about their stories, who you identified by their amazing food-inspired corsets.

 
This year, Eat to the Beat raised over $200,000 with the proceeds going “directly to our programs and services that Willow offers which are vital in ensuring that women and their families are supported throughout every stage of the individual’s diagnosis and treatment.”, according to Karen Malone, Executive Director of Willow Breast & Hereditary Cancer Support. Congratulations to the organizing committee, and thanks to the sponsors and chefs for their support of a worthy organization.

For more information:
http://www.willow.org
http://www.eattothebeat.ca
Twitter: @EattotheBeat_TO #ETTB2015
Instagram: @EattotheBeat_TO #ETTB2015
Facebook: Eat to the Beat

Also check out our coverage from 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Photos by John Tan

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John Tan

John is an avid traveller, but equally loves being a tourist in his own city. With camera in hand, he enjoys discovering the sights, sounds, tastes, and everything else that Toronto has to offer. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram (@iam_johntan) to see what he's been up to lately.