Time to brag about my home town’s food accomplishments again! We’ve showcased Ottawa’s form-idable Food Bank, and the Ottawa Mission, which shelters and feeds the street people. Now, it’s time to spotlight the À la Carte Program!
(l. to r.) Michael Crockatt, Meighan Hartley and Jean-Francois Archambault.
Photo credit: Mia Jensen
Ottawa Tourism, La Tablée des Chefs and 23 hospitality partners are celebrating a major milestone as the À la Carte Food Recovery Program surpasses 500,000 meals recovered and redistributed to folks experiencing food insecurity in the community.
A remarkable feat
Launched in May 2024, À la Carte is the first destination-led food recovery program of its kind in Ca-nada. Through collaboration across Ottawa’s hospitality sector, the program recovers surplus food from hotels, venues, caterers, and events, redirecting it to community organizations rather than allowing it to go to waste.
In just over two years, the program has become a model for how tourism can generate economic, social and environmental benefits simultaneously. In addition to providing more than 500,000 meals to community organizations, À la Carte has diverted approximately 150,000 kilograms of food from landfill, avoided 572 tonnes of CO2e emissions and conserved an estimated 148 million litres of water, which could fill the equivalent of 59 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The program’s success has also attracted international attention. In 2026, À la Carte was recognized as a finalist at both the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Awards and the Convene 4 Climate Global Awards, highlighting Ottawa’s leadership in sustainable tourism and community impact.
‘Incredible milestone’
“Reaching 500,000 meals is an incredible milestone, but what makes me most proud is what it represents,” said Michael Crockatt, President and CEO of Ottawa Tourism. “It demonstrates what is possible when an entire destination comes together around a shared purpose. Through À la Carte, Ottawa’s hospitality community is […] demonstrating how tourism can have a positive impact far beyond the visitor experience.”
A true partnership
The À la Carte program is backed by Ottawa Tourism, facilitated by La Tablée des Chefs Ottawa, and made possible by contributions from almost two dozen of the region’s largest event venues and hotels.
The National Arts Centre headlines the list, followed closely by the world class downtown Rogers Centre convention complex, which is directly connected to the Ottawa Westin Hotel. The Fairmont Chateau Laurier, the Ottawa Marriot, the Hyatt Place Ottawa and the Ottawa Conferece and Event Centre anchor an impressive list of the city’s finest hotels.
Casino Lac Lemy and TD Place, home of the city’s CFL team, represent the entertainment sector.
My take
It’s great to see such big-name, world-class businesses leading the drive to feed the needy and help the environment. The À la Carte program is an example every other major city in the world could benefit from following!
~ Maggie J.