The Power of Local: Why Your Menu Should Celebrate Nova Scotia

By Chantel Mackay, Executive Chef & Owner, Sunflower Catering - June 2025

Catering isn’t just about feeding people—it’s about connecting them. And there’s no better way to create meaningful, memorable meals than by celebrating the ingredients that come from our own soil, sea, and forests.

Here in Nova Scotia, we’re surrounded by food with stories. Ingredients that hold tradition. Flavours that change with the seasons. And when you build your event menu around local abundance, something beautiful happens: the meal becomes more than delicious—it becomes rooted.

Local Means Fresh
When ingredients don’t have to travel far, they arrive vibrant, flavourful, and full of life. Local produce picked at peak season tastes better. It also means fewer preservatives, less packaging, and more nutrient retention—a win for your plate and your health.

Local Reflects the Season
A spring wedding with fresh herbs and foraged fiddleheads. A summer party featuring strawberry shortcake and grilled fish. A fall feast with roasted squash and root vegetables. Building your menu around the time of year helps guests feel fully immersed in the moment.

Local Supports Your Community
When you hire a caterer who sources locally, you’re supporting Nova Scotia’s farmers, fishers, and foragers. That means your dollars stay close to home—and so does the love. It’s a ripple effect of connection and care.

Local Tells a Story
From wild blueberries to smoked mackerel, our province is full of food that evokes memory and meaning. I love incorporating dishes that pay tribute to my clients’ heritage or the couple’s favourite local comfort food. Your menu can be a story your guests experience with every bite.

Local Inspires Creativity
Working within the limits of local availability pushes us to be innovative. We dream up menus based on what’s best right now. That might mean pickled veggies from the market, house-made oatcakes for dessert, or a cider-based vinaigrette that ties it all together.

Final Thoughts:
The most unforgettable meals come from food that’s grown with care and served with intention. At Sunflower Catering, local isn’t a trend—it’s a core value. If you want your event to reflect the best of what Nova Scotia has to offer, let’s build a menu that tells your story and honours our land.