A Literary Festival with a Culinary Twist!
The Appetite for Words Festival program is a partnership between the Stratford Writers Festival and the Stratford Chefs School and features authors who have written about food, and fiction writers who allow food to become a strong component of scenes and/or the characters in their novels. The best part is, chefs and students from Stratford Chefs School develop and prepare menus inspired by featured books so you can taste the words you’re reading.
Appetite for Words revolves around storytelling and is created for the enthusiastic and curious — anyone interested in reading, discussing and consuming food (that’s you, right?). We also have educational workshops and tasting sessions. Join us for some of Canada’s best food writing talent.

There is no other event in Canada like Appetite for Words.
Experience the literary and culinary arts in a new way at this innovative festival in Stratford, Ontario. At literary dinners and lunches, food is matched with an author’s readings, so participants can actually taste the words they’re hearing. During workshops, participants can build their skills and increase their knowledge of both the culinary and literary arts. From a literary picnic-style farm lunch to a food photography workshop, come whet your appetite for literature during our collaboration with the Stratford Chefs School.
Have more questions about the festival? You’ll find more information below!
And if you have a creative idea for Appetite for Words, please send any accompanying materials to:
DigiWriting
356 Ontario St.
#299
Stratford, ON
N5A 7X6
Or send electronic copies (PDF or ePUB) to: our email
Stratford Chefs School is a not-for-profit career college focused on the innovative, hands-on training of high quality, aspiring chefs and culinary entrepreneurs.
Vision
To graduate tomorrow’s culinary leaders.
Leads workshops about food writing; provides one-one-one consultations with students who are interested in food writing; presents readings of his or her work to both students and the public.
BENEFITS OF THE GASTRONOMIC WRITER IN RESIDENCE
The writer in residence will benefit the Stratford Chefs School and the wider culinary community in these ways:
1 | He or she will contribute to a more well rounded education for students, a primary objective of the School. The writer in residence will do this by helping students to produce well written documents and to understand how important these are for succeeding in the culinary industry.
2 | By executing a range of culinary / literary activities within the Stratford Chefs School and the broader community, the writer in residence will advance food writing as an important source of knowledge about food culture.
3 | By presenting public readings, he or she will help engage the
public to experience, enjoy and understand the gastronomy of our time.
The widely loved Joseph Hoare, former food editor of Toronto Life magazine, was immensely supportive of young writers interested in food and gastronomy, writers such as James Chatto, Lucy Waverman and John Allemang. After Mr. Hoare’s death in 1997, his family chose to honour his lifelong passion for food and food writing by means of an endowment to the innovative Gastronomic Writer in Residence at Stratford Chefs School, then renamed the Joseph Hoare Gastronomic Writer in Residence program.
The widely loved Joseph Hoare, former food editor of Toronto Life magazine, was immensely supportive of young writers interested in food and gastronomy, writers such as James Chatto, Lucy Waverman and John Allemang. After Mr. Hoare’s death in 1997, his family chose to honour his lifelong passion for food and food writing by means of an endowment to the innovative Gastronomic Writer in Residence at Stratford Chefs School, then renamed the Joseph Hoare Gastronomic Writer in Residence program.
Trade Secrets | Intensive workshops focused on a cooking technique, dish or product. Subjects include Wine, Pastry, Butchery and more.
Get Cooking! | Intensive workshops focused on themed recipes. Subjects include Bistro, Vegetarian, and International Cuisine.
Boot Camps | A series of classes focused on skill and knowledge development. Subject areas include Fermentation, Cookery, Pastry, Bread, and Wine.
Team Building & Wellness | Social and educational hands on cooking events for groups of 15 to 30 allow guests to cook alongside friends and colleagues or break into teams and compete.
Let us build a unique event to suit your team.