Applications for 2026 are now closed. Please stayed tuned for our upcoming awards announcements. 

Applicant Handbook & Guide

The Good Food Innovation Awards celebrate the people shaping Canada’s food future.

Inspired and founded by Anita Stewart in partnership with the University of Guelph, the awards recognize culinary leadership rooted in Canadian ingredients, regional identity, and the belief that food builds community.

From professional kitchens to northern shorelines, from farms to digital platforms, this program exists to spotlight those who understand the power of food.

If you are advancing Canadian food culture, you belong here.

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History & Purpose

Launched in 2010, the awards grew out of Anita Stewart’s lifelong mission: to celebrate Canadian ingredients, Canadian talent, and the pride of place that defines our cuisine.

Building on the success of Food Day Canada, the awards recognized chefs and restaurants that created outstanding menus grounded in local sourcing and sustainability. With the support of the University of Guelph and the Ontario Agricultural College, the program quickly became a national marker of excellence.

Following Anita’s passing in 2020 and the global pandemic, the awards paused. That pause encouraged collaboration over competition and allowed time for family, board, and community to reflect.

Now, the awards return — renewed and expanded — while remaining anchored in Anita’s original vision.

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Who These Awards Are For

The Good Food Innovation Awards honour the champions in our communities who truly “get it”. It is for those whose work strengthens Canadian food in meaningful and lasting ways. We recognize individuals and organizational leaders who are growing and harvesting, cooking and serving, teaching and researching, storytelling and influencing, building access to food, strengthening local economies, and preserving and evolving culinary traditions. This includes chefs, producers, Indigenous leaders, food entrepreneurs, educators, food banks, school meal organizers, foragers, fishers, farmers, and digital creators. If your work advances Canadian food in any of these ways, you are eligible.

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Anita’s Question That Guides Everything

How local can we be?

This question remains the foundation of every nomination and every decision.

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Selection Criteria

Applications are evaluated on:

• Use of Canadian ingredients & regional representation

• Creativity, innovation, and originality

• Community impact

• Shared inspiration and values

Together, these reflect the belief that Canadian cuisine is both culturally rich and a driver of resilience and food sovereignty.

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Award Categories

From major cities to remote communities, the awards recognize those advancing Canadian food and the future of our sovereignty through our food system.

Categories include:

• Canadian Menu Trailblazer

• Northern / Indigenous Food Champion

• Good Food Storyteller

• Community Food Innovator

• Emerging Canadian Food Leader

Applicants may choose the category that best reflects their work.
The jury may reassign if another category is a better fit.

Category Definitions

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Canadian Menu Trailblazer

Recognizing culinary leaders who define and elevate Canadian cuisine.

This award honours chefs and culinary professionals who intentionally build menus rooted in Canadian ingredients, regional identity, and seasonality. These are innovators who ask, “How local can we be?” and answer boldly.

We recognize individuals who:

• Source Canadian ingredients with integrity

• Showcase regional diversity and terroir

• Reimagine Canadian culinary traditions

• Strengthen relationships with farmers, fishers, and producers

• Elevate Canadian cuisine nationally or internationally

Eligible nominees include: chefs, restaurateurs, caterers, institutional food leaders, and culinary entrepreneurs.

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Northern / Indigenous Food Champion

Honouring those who protect, practice, and evolve Indigenous and Northern foodways.

This award celebrates leadership grounded in land, water, culture, and community. It recognizes individuals and collectives advancing Indigenous food sovereignty and Northern food resilience.

We recognize those who:

• Preserve and revitalize traditional food practices

• Advocate for Indigenous food sovereignty

• Strengthen access to traditional harvesting and land-based learning

• Innovate while respecting ancestral knowledge

• Support food security in remote and Northern communities

Eligible nominees include: Indigenous leaders, hunters, harvesters, fishers, educators, chefs, community organizers, and cultural knowledge keepers.

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Good Food Storyteller

Recognizing those who shape how Canadians understand food.

Food literacy extends beyond the kitchen. This award honours storytellers who amplify Canadian food narratives through media, education, and digital platforms.

We recognize those who:

• Champion Canadian ingredients and producers

• Tell stories that build food literacy

• Highlight food sovereignty and sustainability

• Inspire pride in regional food culture

• Influence positive food choices through media

Eligible nominees include: writers, photographers, filmmakers, podcasters, content creators, educators, and journalists.

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Community Food Innovator

Celebrating grassroots leadership that builds food access and resilience.

This award honours individuals and organizations strengthening local food systems and expanding access to nourishing food.

We recognize those who:

• Build food access in underserved communities

• Develop school meal or youth food literacy programs

• Create innovative community food models

• Strengthen local food economies

• Address food insecurity with dignity and collaboration

Eligible nominees include: food banks, school meal organizers, community kitchen leaders, non-profits, social enterprises, municipal food advocates, and grassroots organizers.

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Emerging Canadian Food Leader

Recognizing the next generation shaping Canada’s food future.

This award honours rising leaders whose work demonstrates vision, courage, and measurable impact.

We recognize emerging individuals who:

• Show leadership in growing, cooking, teaching, or innovating

• Build strong community connections

• Champion Canadian ingredients and sustainability

• Demonstrate early impact with long-term promise

Eligible nominees include: young chefs, farmers, food entrepreneurs, researchers, Indigenous youth leaders, and changemakers typically under 35 (flexible guideline)

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Our Values

Every nominee helps advance the principles that guide Food Day Canada.

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Can I Nominate Someone Else?

The application is to be completed by the nominee. Please bring this to the attention of people you think are deserving.

We strongly encourage it.

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What Winning Represents

Recipients join a national community of leaders recognized for shaping Canada’s culinary identity.

Recognition may include:

• national storytelling

• digital and media features

• speaking opportunities

• connection to partners

• long-term affiliation with Food Day Canada

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I’m From a Small or Remote Community. Should I Apply?

Absolutely.

Some of the most important leadership in Canada happens far from large centres.
We are committed to visibility and fairness across geography.

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Who Chooses the Winners?

A jury made up of leaders from food, agriculture, education, and community sectors across Canada.

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Past Winners

Over the years, recipients have included some of the country’s most respected culinary leaders — individuals whose work embodies Anita Stewart’s belief in Canadian ingredients and regional pride.

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Key Dates

Applications will re-open February 2027.

Further milestones will be announced on Food Day Canada’s channels.

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Where to Apply

Applications for 2026 are now closed. Please stayed tuned for our upcoming awards announcements. 

Follow #GoodFoodInnovationAwards & #FoodDayCanada