Chefs from across Canada

The Canadian Culinary Championships kicked off its eighth year in Kelowna Thursday night.

The reception, held at the Laurel Packinghouse, introduced the 11 competing chefs to those in attendance. The chefs have come from across Canada to compete. 

On Thursday, the chefs were presented with their mystery wine, which they will pair with their culinary creation at the first competition, held Friday. The wine came with no label, and chefs, with the help of a sommelier, must determine the varietal, and figure out a food that best pairs with it. 

A black box competition will be held Saturday morning, where chefs are given seven ingredients at the start of the timed event, and must create a tasty dish on the fly. 

The third and final competition is the grand finale, held Saturday night at the Delta Grand Hotel. Chefs will bring out their best creations, with minimal restrictions, and pair the meal with a Canadian wine, beer or cocktail of their choosing. 

In addition to finding the best chef in Canada, the competition raises money for Canadian Olympic athletes. Since 2004, the competition has raised over $12 million for Canada's Olympic athletes.