Sure, the temperature in London has plummeted through the floor and I’m currently typing this with ice shards hanging off my keyboard, but the Canadians – they know a thing or two about being cold. Which is why they invented the dish poutine, and why we’re extra happy Air Canada are launching a poutine pop up on Kingsland Road.
The dish – whose traditional ingredients of French fries, brown gravy and cheddar cheese curds will make any mouth water like a dog staring at the Christmas turkey through the oven door – will be coming in 10 different varieties to the Air Canada Poutinerie, inspired by the destinations the airline can take you to this winter. These include the fancy Halifax Downstream Poutine, made from chips, Canadian lobster, cheese curds and shellfish gravy, or the fresh Miami’s South Beach Pollo, created using corn-dusted fries, white cheese, pulled chicken and avocado.
There’s also a lounge bar where you can drink some Canadian wine and homemade root beer, while enjoying virtual reality experiences and competitions to win flights. And all the cheese, chips and gravy come guilt free as the event proudly sponsors Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Hospital. Now if you’ll excuse me, all that thinking about poutine has made my mouth freeze shut, which makes it a bit hard to eat poutine.
Air Canada's Poutinerie will be coming to 52-56 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, from 3-11 November and is open between 12pm and 4pm, and 5pm to 10.30pm.