TORONTO — Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) has joined the sustainable seafood movement, with all five of its restaurant properties — e11even, Real Sports Bar & Grill, Platinum Club, The Hot Stove Club and Air Canada Club — becoming partners of Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program.
The restaurants will now offer ocean-friendly options ranging from Canadian east- and west-coast oysters at e11even to Humboldt squid calamari fries with house tzatziki at Real Sports Bar & Grill to Selva shrimp ravioli with shaved fennel and tarragon cream at Platinum Club.
“The sustainable-seafood movement has gained momentum across Canada and Toronto foodies are no exception to the growing desire to make the best choice when it comes to the future of our oceans. The Ocean Wise symbol on a menu means it’s easy to make that choice,” says Deirdre Finn, Ocean Wise Toronto account representative. “Having Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment join the Ocean Wise program is a win for both sides. MLSE is all about delivering the complete experience to its fans, and that now includes offering them sustainable, delicious seafood options while they watch their favourite teams.”
While MLSE is new to the Ocean Wise program, chef Taylor McMeekin of Air Canada Club was a partner during his time as chef at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen and helped lay the groundwork for the new partnership. The organization has strong roots in sustainable practices, having committed to reducing its impact on the environment with respect to waste, energy and water.
“MLSE has always been committed to serving our fans best-in-class food in all of our restaurants,” says Dan Morrow, head of Food & Beverage at MLSE. “By partnering with Ocean Wise, we are proud to fully support sustainable seafood as well. The future of our food and environment are extremely important to us and this partnership gives us confidence that we are not only serving the highest-quality seafood but also the most sustainably sourced.”
