read on Sootoday – published September 19, 2026
Now you know where to find the best chili in Sault Ste. Marie! Harvest Algoma took first place at this year’s Chili-Fest, held at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion, with a winning chili made using locally raised beef, greenhouse-grown vegetables and herbs, and rescued surplus produce.
“Our head cook will be proud,” said Lauren Moran, Harvest Algoma Community Enterprise Manager. That head cook is Ron Black, who prepared the winning chili with a focus on local ingredients.
“He used locally raised beef, first and foremost,” Moran told SooToday.
The chili also featured a selection of beans, tomatoes and herbs grown in Harvest Algoma’s own greenhouses. Ingredients such as paprika and onion powder were made using rescued surplus produce that Harvest Algoma received.
And when it comes to great chili, timing matters.
Black prepared the chili well ahead of the event, making it on Thursday before cooling it down and reheating it on the morning of Chili-Fest.
“That’s the thing about chili,” Moran explained. “If anybody knows chili, you know that you want to let it sit a bit. You don’t serve it right away. That’s not the best chili. You’ve got to make it ahead of time. That’s the secret.”
Harvest Algoma’s chili is also available through Meals by Harvest, giving the community a chance to enjoy this award-winning comfort food at home.
A Big Thank You!
A huge thank you to the Soup Kitchen Community Centre for putting together such an amazing event! We had so much fun cooking, sharing our chili, and meeting everyone who came out.
All proceeds from $10 tastings go to the Soup Kitchen.
And, of course, thank you to everyone who tasted our chili and voted for us! Your support means so much to our team!
A Trophy with a Story
The trophy was made by kids and is a little chili bowl featuring all the ingredients that went into our winning chili. How cool is that?!
It now has a new home and will proudly be displayed at Harvest Algoma as a special reminder of an incredible day, our community, and the people who make events like Chili-Fest so much fun.
Harvest Algoma is now officially a registered charity, marking an exciting milestone in our work to rescue and redistribute surplus food throughout the Algoma district. We support 71 food banks, pantries, programs, and social service agencies, helping strengthen our local food system and improve access to nutritious food in our community.
Donations made through the Harvest Algoma website are now processed through CanadaHelps, allowing donors to automatically receive an official charitable tax receipt. To support our work, donations can be made at harvestalgoma.ca/donate.