Toronto's renowned food culture is rooted in the people that help feed the city. From independent food markets and grocers, to food justice advocates and food writers, everyone has a role to play in our kitchens and a seat to fill at our tables. Meet some of the people that shape our meals from the ground level!

Moderator

Alexandros Varoutas is a former chef turned journalist with a few other things in between. He graduated from Centennial College and began working with The Green Line covering local stories in Toronto's underserved communities like Scarborough, where he grew up. He believes that through food and humour there's a common ground to be found with anyone if you look for it. 

Panelist: Lori Beazer is the Founder and Market Manager of Canada's FIRST culturally specific farmers' market. She has several disciplines and areas of interest including natural aesthetics, skincare, food security, community advocacy and engagement. With passion, Lori endeavours to empower the African Diaspora with knowledge and resources in order to build a level playing field that supports overall health.

Panelist: Hansel Igbavboa is a multi-disciplinary artist, a filmmaker, community organizer and researcher. He works at FoodShare as the Right to Food Campaign coordinator, a community researcher and steering committee member of the Black Youth Farming collective. He believes in the liberation power of food and the use of storytelling as a means to sustain food liberation and sovereignty movements

Panelist: Karon Liu is a food writer, recipe developer and recipe tester based in Toronto. His work has appeared in The Globe And Mail, Maclean’s, Food Network Canada and Sharp Magazine. He previously worked at The Grid and Vice Munchies. He is currently the staff food writer at The Toronto Star as well as keeper, cleaner and guardian of the test kitchen.

Panelist: Shazim Amir, Amerex Caribbean Grocers. Bio coming soon!

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