Four dinners. Four themes. One unforgettable journey.
What is the Dinner Series?
Taste Ex™ isn’t just a festival, it’s a celebration of craftsmanship, flavour, and connection. This year, we’re bringing the experience to the table, literally, with the Taste Dinner Series: a collection of exclusive five-course fine dining events, each paired with an exceptional lineup of beverages curated by certified experts.
From the rustic bounty of Ontario’s farms and producers to the elegance of wine and beer in friendly rivalry, from Southern culinary indulgence to the carefree celebration of summer, each dinner tells its own story, crafted by professional chefs, producers, and beverage masters who live for flavour.
These are intimate evenings for just 50 guests, where every plate is a conversation, every glass a discovery, and every course a reminder of why we gather around food and drink in the first place.
Four nights. Five food and drink courses. Countless memories.
The Taste Dinner Series, where every sip, bite, and moment is meant to be savoured.
The Market After Dark
February 26, 2026
The Market at Western Fair District
900 King St., London, Ontario
From land to plate. From vine to glass. From field to feast.
Few ever experience The Market like this. The Market After Dark invites guests inside after hours for an intimate opening night to the Taste Dinner Series, set high above the shops on the second floor of this historic landmark.
The evening unfolds as a guided journey. Guests are welcomed at the entrance and led upward into a warmly lit space where rustic charm meets refined culinary craft to receive their welcome signature cocktail.
At the table, five thoughtfully composed courses celebrate Ontario’s agricultural roots, crafted with ingredients sourced from nearby farms and producers. Each dish is paired with hand-selected beers and wines curated to deepen flavour and spark conversation, hosted by a certified beer cicerone. Every bite and sip tells a story—of flavour, craftsmanship, and the people behind them.
This is more than a dinner. It’s a celebration of place, community, and connection. Live music hums softly between courses, and history comes alive through guided storytelling.
Join us February 26 for an unforgettable evening where heritage, hospitality, and flavour meet—raising a glass to home, and to the stories and food that bring us together.
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The Menu for the Evening: A Guided Culinary Journey
Five courses inspired by Ontario’s seasonal ingredients, each thoughtfully complemented with palate-perfect drinks artfully paired to elevate every bite. Your pairings will be guided by Stephen Rich, Brewmaster & Certified Cicerone - a rare opportunity to explore flavour like a true insider.
First Course: Amuse-bouche
Whipped brie and cranberry in pistachio filo cup topped with honeycomb and candied lavender flower
Second Course: Rarebit
Cheddar and ale soup topped with a cheddar crisp
Served with house made French loaf
Third Course: Palette Cleanser
Ontario Sparkling Sorbet
Main Course:
King Cole roasted duck breast, drizzled with blueberry ice wine sauce
Served with lemon and orange fingerling potatoes, sun root artichoke puree and heirloom carrots.
Dessert- Trio plate:
Pumpkin crème Brulé with maple sugar
Savory Cheese
Maple sweet potato tart
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A Piece of London’s History
Built in 1927, the Confederation Building began as a place for local merchants to sell a diversity of wares. Today, the Confederation building is home to The Market.
About the Market
Located in the heart of Old East Village, the Market is home to 100+ shops. The first floor is home to a wide range of produce, baked goods, butchers, artisans foods, cheeses, prepared foods and more! While the second floor features the best and most unique craftspeople, artists and artisans, together with an eclectic roster of distinctive and locally handcrafted products, fine jewellery, collectibles and one-of-a-kind services.
The Market at Western Fair District is a popular destination for chefs, cooks and local gastronomes in search of a wide variety of artisanal products and seasonal ingredients.
Market-goers love they can buy high-quality; farm-fresh goods directly from the person who produced them and can find unique products they won’t discover anywhere else in the city.
Open year-round, Saturdays 8:00AM-3:00PM & Sundays 10:00AM-2:00PMWhy We Do What We Do
The Market at Western Fair District is a mission-driven best-in-class market, innovative business incubator, welcoming gathering place, and weekly community tradition. We support the local economy by promoting and creating healthy food networks and a place for local artisans to showcase and sell their work. Our aim is to engage entrepreneurs and producers that have a social mission and tap into the movement of revolutionizing retail – people dedicated to sourcing quality, ethical, healthy food and concerned about where it originates.
FAQs
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$200 per person or $1500 for a table of 8.
This includes a 5-course dinner with 5 specialty drink pairings for each.
The experience includes a guided tour of the Market, guided dinner experience with a certified beer cicerone and live music.
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There is free parking beside the Market, located at 900 King st. They'll be a greeter to let you in the side doors by the main entrance.
Wine Vs beer
April 9, 2026
A battle of the bottles. A duel of the senses.
The Beer vs. Wine Dinner brings together the world’s oldest debate in the most delicious way possible. Over five creative courses, two masters of pairing, beer and wine, go head-to-head for your palate’s affection.
Expect bold moves and surprising harmony as each dish is served with two pairings: a beer that brings out depth, texture, and contrast, and a wine designed to highlight balance, finesse, and aroma. You decide which pairing reigns supreme.
This is not just a dinner, it’s a full-scale flavour showdown. Expect lively discussion, friendly competition, and a few unexpected discoveries along the way. Whether you’re team hops or team grapes, you’ll walk away with a new appreciation for both.
Join us April 9 for a night of elegance, excitement, and exploration—because when beer and wine go head-to-head, everyone wins.
Taste of the derby
May 21, 2026
Hats on. Spirits high. Southern charm in every glass.
The Derby dinner gallops into Taste Dinner Series with five courses inspired by the flavours, festivities, and flair of the South. Think slow-roasted indulgence, rich textures, and bright, bold cocktails that make the night sing.
Begin with a toast, perhaps a crisp beer or a refined wine, before moving into the heart of Derby Day with one exquisite spirit and two handcrafted cocktails that capture the essence of the races: whisky, mint, sugar, smoke, and sunshine.
Every course is a nod to celebration and tradition, blending the elegance of fine dining with the festive energy of race day. Guests are encouraged to dress the part; floral dresses, bow ties, and wide-brimmed hats welcome.
Join us May 21 for a dinner that’s equal parts sophistication and spectacle; a Derby Day soirée where the food is decadent, the drinks are daring, and the company is simply unforgettable.
summer party
June 25, 2026
Warm nights. Cold drinks. Endless laughter.
The Summer Party Dinner closes out the Taste Dinner Series with the kind of energy only summer can bring; a vibrant, sun-kissed celebration of flavour, friendship, and fresh beginnings.
A five-course menu bursting with seasonal ingredients; bright, colourful, and perfectly paired with two beers, two wines, and two handcrafted cocktails designed to complement the mood of the evening.
Every course is light, refreshing, and full of surprises, moving from delicate coastal flavours to bold summer classics. The atmosphere? Relaxed, radiant, and ready to toast to the season ahead.
Whether you come for the food, the drinks, or the company, this is the kind of evening that reminds you why summer is meant to be shared.
Join us June 25 for the Taste Dinner Series Summer Party—a celebration of taste, sunshine, and the simple joy of gathering around a table one more time.