Like many things on Twitter, it started as a joke. A group of food nerds attending the food festival Culinaire decided we needed a quasi-ironic hashtag to organize our food-related tweets for the evening. 

Weren't in on the original #teamstuffed? No problem. The more stuffing the better. (Gym membership not included). 

We are excited to announce that Tastebud Guides is shifting from just producing food guides to publishing all kinds of food-related eBooks. We are also offering services to bloggers who are interested in DIY publishing, but require some help along the way. 

Here are some examples of the services Tastebud Guides now offers:

• As before, restaurant bloggers looking to publish a food guide for their city can submit proposals for a guide topic to be published in collaboration with Tastebud Guides
• Recipe bloggers looking to publish an eCookbook can also submit proposals to be published in collaboration with Tastebud Guides
• Bloggers looking to publish their own materials and maintain full ownership of their content can hire Tastebud Guides to set up their publishing accounts and layout their content in various eBook formats. 

Also stay tuned over the coming months as we roll out some resources to help DIY Publishers. The first post is up, outlining some of the frequently asked questions from people interested in eBook publishing. 

 Let the chips fall where they may - especially when it comes to poutine.  Local food fanatic and blogger Jen Reiher has been roaming Victoria's kitchens and restaurants for over a decade, writing and talking about what she has tasted and seen.  The founder of the recently launched Tastebud Guides, the local foodie saw a gap "What this city really needs is a fun guide to where to find the poutine of the moment, depending on where one's tastebuds are on a particular day. When The Empress is serving Curry Poutine as a menu item for special events, you know the hot, gooey mess has culturally arrived."
 
The mix of chips, a gravy and cheese is truly a Quebec invention.  There is a tug of war between a couple of communities as to who was the first to serve it up, but it is a Francophone gastronomic bomb. 
 
And here on the West Coast?  “Fusion poutine is not necessarily a West Coast invention, but I think it is done particularly well here” said Reiher.
 
Reiher is in touch with local poutine support groups such as rogue twitter group #Pouteam and relied on them to help contribute poutine sightings and tasting to her new guide.
 
She is planning the first annual Poutine Challenge in 2013 and will include a dessert category. 
 
Her family were plain-jane eaters and Reiher didn’t know it was possible to make good food at home.  But now she knows.  She’s on the board of Slow Food Vancouver Island and is currently taking a Beer Judging course.
 
When not day-dreaming about Poutine, she works for the BC Initiative for Inclusive Post-Secondary Education.

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Photos and review copies available

Media Contact:
Joan Athey
(250) 294-6040
[email protected]

Tastebud Guides participated in the International Food Blogger Conference in Portland (August 24-26, 2012). The conference covers a range of 'food nerd' related topics, including eBooks and food writing. I was thrilled to go to see what other bloggers are doing and where the good food hotspots are in the Pacific Northwest. I have always heard incredible things about the Oregon food scene, but I wasn't quite prepared for the sheer amount of innovation and creativity that I found in Portland! 

We started off day 1 at the 'bookfair' during registration. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and chatted about the project, it was so lovely to talk to you all! This is the first time that I have really gotten out there and talked to bloggers about the idea, and it was exciting to see the reaction to the project live. Looking forward to creating some fabulous guides in the future!

I also really enjoyed the sessions I attended. By the end of the days my head was so full of new ideas and information I had to force myself to get out there and enjoy Portland (woe, a hard life!). Everyone in attendance was so friendly and the conversation flowed easily, especially since most of the conversation was about my two favourite topics (food, technology). 

The conference organizers worked really hard to make sure we got a taste of Portland's 'Local Flavour' (or I suppose 'flavor' since we were south of the border!). This included a "live food blogging session" in which we were treated to samples from some small producers in the Oregon area who are creating some incredibly delicious product. I really loved that we got a chance to sample some products from really small, local producers, in fact I wish we'd had a chance to do even more! 

We also got a chance to sample some amazing Oregon Wines! Not being as educated about wine as I would like to be, the opportunity to talk to the producers and learn about the differences in wine production between my home province of BC and Oregon was fascinating. A little too fascinating after such an early morning and light lunch because I was so busy chatting people up at the bookfair...! 

As this was my first conference, I wasn't quite prepared for the gift suite. Thankfully, now I have purchased a fold-up duffle to stick in my luggage for future travel! I haven't had a chance to try everything yet, but I appreciate the support of the sponsors in making the conference possible! 

Of course, there was much enjoyment of the rest of Portand's food scene, which I have documented on my personal blog! 

This is a call for contributions to a mini-guide to Victoria's "poutine scene." 

Poutine is a pretty hot trend in Victoria right now, and everyone has their favourite. The vision for this mini-tastebud guide will be to compare and contrast the different takes on fries + sauce + cheese that are available in the city. Articles will be edited together into an eBook format and be made available for free on eBookstores (iBookstore, Kobo bookstore & Kindle store) in English speaking countries. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Sign up to reserve a local restaurant (or two) by July 31st, 2012
• Submit ~200 words about the poutine with a high-resolution photograph before August 30th, 2012
• Include a 1-2 sentence bio & a link to your project/social media/website etc.
• Please do not select a restaurant where there might be a conflict of interest
  (e.g. you or a person close to you are financially [or otherwise] compensated by said restaurant). 

Once you have submitted the form below you will receive an email confirmation and more instructions about how to submit your article to the project. 

get to the sign up form by clicking "read more" in the bottom right corner of this post.

Excited to announce that the restaurants featured in "Local Flavour: Victoria 2012" will also be highlighted on Victoria's premier local-loving style blog, capitalcitystyle.ca! 

cc:style features 'bite sized' articles from and about locals who are at the cutting edge of trends in the city from fitness to fashion to food. 




The articles will cover the same ground as Local Flavour, but go into more depth about one of the delicious menu items at each restaurant, or feature an interview with restaurant owners and chefs talking about the behind the scenes passion that go into creating the food found in Local Flvour. 

Check out the first post about the delicious Capital Style burger at the Flying Otter Grill! 

For Immediate Release

Summary: Local Flavour is the first of a series of food guides launching in Victoria, BC from Tastebud Guides. The guidebook is available as an eBook and recommends 20 breakfast, lunch, dinner and drink establishments in the city. 

LOCAL FOOD EBOOK LAUNCHES IN VICTORIA
VICTORIA, BC - June 9, 2012 - Local Flavour: Victoria 2012; eBook; $3.99

Victoria's first eBook food guide recommending only locally owned, independent restaurants is now available from online eBookstores. "Local Flavour" makes 20 recommendations of local restaurants that offer a consistent dining experience an unparalleled value, celebrating the vibrancy of the local food scene in the city. Some recommendations in the guide are obvious, such as family favourites like Ferris' Oyster Bar and the world-famous seafood at Red Fish Blue Fish. Other recommendations reveal hidden gems and rising stars of Victoria's culinary scene, such as Spiced Water, the new coffee shop started by the founders of Jagasilk. 

This is the first of a series of eBooks that Tastebud Guides plans to release over the next year. Future guides will be written by other local food writers and bloggers with a focus on specific dining trends, such as coffee or microbreweries. "The idea of Tastebud Guides is that they are 'field guides' to fantastic food," says Jen Reiher, founder of Tastebud Guides and author of the first guide, "Visitors to Victoria now have a portable, cross-reference resource to help them explore food experiences in our beautiful, delicious city."  

Tastebud Guides presents restaurant recommendations in a format that allows for quick reference as well as more detailed decision making. Detailed information about the restaurant's history and ambiance are included to help discerning diners decide which restaurant is the best fit for them. Suggested menu items are highlighted with photographs and bolded for quick reference, and nearby and similar restaurants are cross-referenced at the end of each review.

To buy a copy of Local Flavour: Victoria 2012, search for "Tastebud Guides" on your eReader's bookstore or use the links below to buy the guide on your computer and transfer it to your device:
apple • kindle • kobo

Tastebud Guides is an eBook food guide publishing platform to help guide food lovers to fantastic local food. Guides are written by members of the local food community with a deep knowledge and passion about their topic. Information is presented in a user-friendly, crossed referenced way, making use of the features of eBook technology. 

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Photos and review copies available

Media Contact:
Jen Reiher
jen~@~tastebudguides~.~com
1-888-503-8386
www.tastebudguides.com

Congratulations to Robin T., winner by random draw of the grand prize in the launch contest! 
The lovely Robin is going home with a $50 gift certificate to one of the restaurants in the guide, a beer poster and a copy of the guide. What a lucky lady!

We are also awarding Matt B a copy of the guide for being the entry with the most correct answers. 
Nicely done, Matt!


Stay tuned... the book launches fully next week and there is more exciting news coming very soon!

I am so excited to announce that with 12 days to go, we have already reached the funding goal to get into the tourism information centre! This is incredible news! I am so thrilled - it means that things are full steam ahead. I anticipate having the guide completed in the next week, and launched in the info centre soon after.