A huge favourite with foodies and families alike, the Great Island Grilled Cheese Challenge, is returning to the Fall Flavours Festival in 2014. “This has been one of the best attended events of the Festival and we’re delighted to have it again this year,” says Chef Austin Clement, chairman of the Prince Edward Island Culinary Alliance.

Presented by Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Great Island Grilled Cheese Challenge, will be held Sunday, September 14 at Cows Creamery in Charlottetown. Hosted by Food Network Canada’s Chef Anna Olson, the day promises some intriguing cheese dishes prepared by the chefs competing for the Grilled Cheese title, as well as a true smorgasbord of Canadian cheeses to sample. A cheese expert representing the Dairy Farmers of Canada will be on site to provide Canadian cheese samples and education, and will also be at other Fall Flavours Events: Oysters on the Pier, Taste of the North Shore, All You Need Is Cheese Workshop and Brewmasters Dinner.

The professionals from the Culinary Institute of Canada are introducing two new events to the Fall Flavours lineup with their inaugural Chef Series. The first event, September 11 at the Culinary Institute in Charlottetown, features recent graduate Chef Hayden Johnston, a first place winner on Chopped Canada and now the sous chef at the famous Richmond Station restaurant in Toronto. Chef Johnston will prepare a five-course menu highlighting Prince Edward Island beef.

The second Chef Series event will be held on September 21 featuring graduate Chef Murray McDonald, now the executive chef at the Fogo Island Inn, ranked the #3 restaurant in Canada. Chef MacDonald will prepare an amazing five-course meal that will feature an abundance of fresh PEI lobster.

“Add these events to the ones already announced, and it makes an outstanding lineup for the Fall Flavors Festival this year. From start to finish, the events list is simply astounding,” says Chef Clement. “Tickets are moving briskly, so I encourage people to buy their tickets early, to avoid being disappointed when events sell out.”

The Fall Flavours Festival, held at venues across Prince Edward Island from September 5-28, is an initiative of the Prince Edward Island Culinary Alliance. The Culinary Alliance is a partnership between the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Prince Edward Island departments of Tourism and Culture, Innovation and Advanced Learning, Agriculture and Forestry, and Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development, as well as industry representatives. The Alliance was created to develop innovative food industry partnerships, culinary experiences and promotional programs.

Tickets for Fall Flavours events are available online at www.fallflavours.ca or in person at Confederation Centre of the Arts box office.

For information, visit www.fallflavours.ca or call 1-866-960-9912.