I got to be a Burger Ambassador, and then COVID-19 flipped the narrative

'Burger Ambassador.'

Imagine putting that job title on your LinkedIn profile. Well, it turns out I get to add it and so does my fellow burger-eating buddy and community activist Hasan Hai.

While the city mourned the loss of The Overcast's annual Burger Battle, the idea was revamped by Destination St. John's and Quidi Vidi Brewery, transforming it into Burger &Brew Fest, an initiative set to take place throughout the whole month of March.

Thirty-six restaurants stepped up to battle it out for the "best burger" title, five breweries offered up beer to pair with them and there were lots of prizes to be won as patrons ate burgers and drank beers at the participating locations, stamping off their bingo card passports as they went.

The first few weeks of Burger &Brew Fest were amazing.

It's as much about what's between the buns: a month-long fundraiser fighting food insecurity, a showcasing of local business and a community builder.

I overheard people's conversations debating the next burger they would try, people marching into restaurants with their Burger &Brew Fest passport in hand no need to look at the menu!

Hundreds of Instagram posts of people eating together in local restaurants, and patrons trying new-to-them restaurants. Aserver at one restaurant told me they were selling almost a hundred burgers a day.

For Hasan and I, the title of burger ambassadors was so much more than the burger-eating privilege we were getting to help out local restaurants, the Community Food Sharing Association, and the community itself.

And then we weren't.

COVID-19, which has turned every element of life upside down, flipped the competition on its side. More on that later.

More than prize-winning patties and buns

Why did Hasan Hai and I become burger ambassadors? Well, we both love to eat and the thought of getting to judge burgers made by the best restaurants in the city was very appetizing, to say the least.

"The whole idea of eating my way through the month of March was intriguing, I won't lie," said Hai.

Let's be real: it's just plain fun to roam the city donning ourBurger &Brew Fest tee-shirts and eating burgers and drinking beer together.

But like the ideal burger the amalgamation of a good bun, perfect patty and balance of delicious toppings it's as much about what's between the buns: a month-long fundraiser fighting food insecurity, a showcasing of local business and a community builder.

• What did Snowmageddon teach us about food security?

Snowmageddon hit St. John's hard, and the subject of food security in this province and its multifaceted effects was brought to the front burner.

Winter is always a hard season for restaurants in Newfoundland, but this one was a doozy.

During January's state of emergency (SOE), restaurants were closed for more than a week, which meant they lost the income generated by patronage but also fridge-fuls of fresh food that inevitably had to be chucked in the garbage for food safety reasons. This can add up to tens of thousands of dollars in losses.

"It was the nature of this campaign to promote local businesses in a very slow month in an already difficult season, plus the outstanding fundraising angle to donate one dollar from every burger to the CFSA that sold me," said Hai.

"Once I heard about the charitable angle, I was in."

While most people saw #BurgerBrewNL images all over social media filled with happy people eating burgers and restaurants claiming bragging rights for their creations,Burger &Brew Fest was more than prize-winning patties and buns, it was about supporting the community.

A dollar from every single burger sold during the month went to the Community Food Sharing Association.

The event also incited important conversations about food insecurity in the province. Especially after Snowmageddon, a festival of eating can bring to light just how precarious our food situation is.

"I was faced with how vulnerable we all are, and how ill-prepared my own family was in the event of an unexpected disruption to normal life," saidHai about his own experience during the SOE.

"Seeing countless volunteer groups form to collect and distribute food to our neighbours who were going hungry was a very sobering experience. We need a wide safety net to ensure no-one goes hungry, and we need to keep the conversations around food insecurity alive."

Eating a burger was having a big impact on the community.

Hitting the pause button

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the restaurant industry around the world, and with that imminent changes to the local dining scene.Every day this week, I've opened my social media accounts to posts by restaurants announcing changes to their service, offering take out options or full-on closures. The #burgerbrewNL pictures have slowed.

Earlier this week, Burger &Brew Fest started to encourage ordering your burger to-go, and restaurants stepped up to the task of offering their burger via takeout, which Hasan and I took advantage of. But by March 18, Destination St. John's made the choice to hit the pause button on the festival. Turning off the flat top is the right call for now.

• More by Gabby Peyton

The importance of social distancing is paramount, but the need for support to local restaurants and the Community Food Sharing Association hasn't gone away. Order takeout from your favourite restaurant most are offering new take out options and even free delivery.

Hasan and I are hanging up our burger ambassador badges, but at some point in the future Burger &Brew Fest will unpause, and it will be more important than ever to support local.

For now, I'm breaking out all my old cookbooks and will probably find a burger recipe or two to tide me over.

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