The PEI International Shellfish Festival

The PEI International Shellfish Festival, presented by the Dairy Farmers of PEI, has announced the twelve competitors who will face off in the Garland Canada International Chef Challenge, one of the signature competitions returning as Atlantic Canada's largest kitchen party celebrates its 30th anniversary from September 17-20 on the Charlottetown waterfront. For three decades, the festival has brought the world to Prince Edward Island's shore to celebrate the people, the product, and the passion behind this Island industry. As it enters its milestone year, the festival's mission remains the same: to celebrate PEI's shellfish industry and the harvesters, farmers, chefs, and producers who fuel it, and to help ensure it prospers for generations to come. This year's Garland Canada International Chef Challenge brings together a roster of talent from across Canada and abroad, including chefs from Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Alberta, and Osaka, Japan. The competitors are: Chef Thoshan Alweera, Black + Blue (Vancouver, BC); Chef Greg Arsenault, Fluke at Blackbush (Grand Tracadie, PEI); Chef Alijah Casellas, The Westin Harbour Castle (Toronto, ON); Chef Steven Che, Haisan (Vancouver, BC); Chef Jordan Diniz, ēst (Toronto, ON); Chef Catherine Frenette, Bon Vivant Table Fermière (Montréal, QC); Chef Crystal Higgins, Chartier (Beaumont, AB); Chef Allyson Huynh, Foxtrot at Spruce Meadows (Calgary, AB); Chef Taylor McMeekin, Cluny Bistro (Toronto, ON); Chef Jaeyoung Park, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar (Vancouver, BC); Chef Hiromi Tsuji, Tsuji Wellness Cooking, Shinsaibashi School and Harukas School (Osaka, Japan); and Chef Tyson Wright, The Old Red Barn (Calgary, AB). The 2026 Garland Canada International Chef Challenge winner will be announced during the festival on September 20 and the winner will be presented with the biggest prize of the weekend: a cheque for $10,000. Visit peishellfish.com for the full schedule, competitions, entertainment lineup, tickets, and more.