Gold Medal Plates competition dishes up cash for aspiring Olympians

Top chefs, athletes, and musicians alike came together to raise funds for Canadian amateur sport in St. John's on Thursday night.

• Patrick Garland of Absinthe Caf wins Gold Medal Plates event

In an event at the Delta St. John's Hotel, eight of the city's top chefs prepared dishes as part of a culinary competition to raise money for Canadian amateur athletes hoping to reach or return to Olympic competition.

The St. John's Gold Medal Plates event was the eighth of 10 similar fundraising chef competitions held across the country. The winning chef from each event will also move on to the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna, B.C.,in February.

Chef Roger Andrews of Relish took the gold with his take on Acadian sturgeon.

Roary MacPherson, Oppidan's chef, recieved the silver medal, while chef Adam Grevatt of Blue on Water placed third.

Not just a celebration of Canadian excellence in cuisine and wine, the event was also attended by a number of the country's top athletes and musicians.

Also attending were Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy and singer Sam Roberts, while Olympic curler Jamie Korab and ice dancing pair Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir were among the athletes who took part.

In an interview, Virtue stressed the importance of the event in providing support to Canadian athletes.

"Gold Medal Plates does so much for amateur athletes in Canada," said Virtue, adding that more than $12 million has been raised over the last decade.

"They're celebrating their tenth anniversary, and it's wonderful. It's really the only reason that we could compete because it's the majority of our funding and amateur sport is expensive," said Virtue.

"It's unparalled, the support we get from events like Gold Medal Plates across the country," she told CBC News.

Proceeds from Gold Medal Plates events will support high-performance Canadian athletes through programs recommended by Own The Podium.