For the night of Feb. 1, fashion mecca Holt Renfrew set its sights on food. For one night, to mark the start of Black History Month, it handed over Holts Café to chef Rachel Adjei and sommelier Jaby Dayle. The takeover was filled with exciting and unexpected culinary moments and a slew of stylish guests (it was held at a department store, after all.).
Adjei, while central to the evening, was understandably behind the scene during the gathering. Her work with food, though, took centre stage. She’s the founder of the Abibiman Project, a culinary education initiative that seeks to promote African foods and culture. Following the event, she said that the idea for the Abibiman Project grew from a desire to see not just a greater presence, but respect for African cuisine on the culinary stage in Canada and beyond. A portion of the profits from her varied activities, including the weekly Benada dinner series held at the Grapefruit Moon in Toronto and booths at farmers markets, are donated to Afri-Can Food Basket, whose focus is food justice, health and social enterprise in the African Canadian community.
Adjei said the dinner was originally slated for last February but a round of COVID-19 safety measures messed with their plan. That interruption just might have been a blessing, as the addition of sommelier Jaby Dayle for this latest incarnation was a brilliant move. Dayle, whose own journey into wine higher education kicked off during the pandemic, is the founder of Discerning Palate Wines which aims to make wine education, both for those looking to become sommeliers or the home connoisseur, more accessible.
The pair collaborated on the menu and wine pairings. For Dayle, the dessert course, a coconut amarula made with a spiced tigernut cake and puffed chinkafa rice stood out as a particularly exciting combination when matched with a madeira, “If there was a dance floor I would have started dancing” they said. For Adjei, it was the appetizer of charred okra salad with charred tomatoes and Ras el Hanout dressing that when paired up with Rosewood Estate’s PTG she felt really worked, namely for its originality. “You just don’t see okra paired with wines in that way,” she said. The pair hadn’t met before the collaboration with Holt Renfrew took shape, but both agree that the evening was something special and that it just might lead to another project down the road.
Among those lucky enough to snag a seat at one of the dinner tables (which were dotted with sprays of joyfully hued blossoms and rather chic braided rush placemats): Holt Renfrew’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion, Kim Johnson; author Tasheka Mason; brand collaborator and podcast host Sasha Exeter; fashion stylists Bobby Bowen and Mystique Daniel-Barker; and musician Tracey Kayy and performer Dynesti Williams.
Chef Rachel Adjei, at Holt Renfrew, on Feb. 1, in Toronto.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Alisa Anderson.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Mystique Daniel-Barker, Kim Johnson and Candace Allixendir.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Tre Akula, Jaby Dayle and Bobby Bowen.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Kaysey Williams.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Maricel Dicion and Jessica Yamoah.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Kim Johnson and Jaby DayleJenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Tracey Kayy.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Bobby Bowen.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Bobby Bowen, Sasha Exeter and Tre Akula.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Sasha Exeter.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Allen Benjamin.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Jessica Yamoah, Jefferson Darrell and Maricel Dicion.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Jessica Yamoah and Tasheka Mason.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Brendon Zych, Nadia Boachie, Afia Amoaka.jpg On the Scene society column for Feb 11: Holt Renfrew hosts a dining experience, February 1, TorontoJenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
Tara Ocansey and Brandon Gonez.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail