P.E.I. Burger Love put on hold indefinitely as organizers look for potential new owner
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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — P.E.I. beef received’t be feeling the love in 2023 because the annual Burger Love marketing campaign has been placed on maintain for the foreseeable future.
In a video posted on Fb on Feb. 1, Recent Media president and artistic director Melody Dover mentioned the corporate is now on the lookout for another person to take over the annual marketing campaign, which has been working since 2011.
Within the video, Dover defined she has been affected by continual ache over the past 5 years and had been suggested by her docs she would want to scale back stress, which may act as a set off for her ache.
In an interview with SaltWire Community on Feb. 2, Dover mentioned she had hoped the marketing campaign would run in 2023 and even had just a few events who she felt have been shut to creating it occur.
Nevertheless, these choices didn’t pan out, and the marketing campaign was as an alternative cancelled.
“We have been left with having to resolve easy methods to greatest strategy this yr,” she mentioned.
“Understanding the place I’m at with my continual ache and it being an ongoing problem, it’s one thing the place we needed to pull the set off and simply be utterly sincere with all people. In order that’s the place the video got here from.”
Working by means of the ache
Dover mentioned her continual ache stems from two accidents, one in 2017 and one other in 2019, the place her automobile was rear-ended.
She mentioned at first, the ache was manageable to a degree the place she didn’t pay a lot consideration to it. Nevertheless, in the previous few years, it has grow to be extra outstanding and problematic.
“You simply assume, ‘oh I simply acquired a bump, it is no huge deal,’” she mentioned. “However there have been larger repercussions for me bodily than I ever anticipated. I didn’t even know what continual ache was.”
After discussing along with her husband, who can also be her enterprise companion, Dover mentioned she was left with a troublesome conclusion – Burger Love needed to go.
“We completely love Burger Love, and we expect it’s an amazing profit to the Island and all those that take part,” she mentioned.
“However we felt that the factor that’s the greatest accountability annually, if that could possibly be one thing that could possibly be bestowed on another person to take over, that may enable me the house … for me to have the time I want for my ache administration.”
Discovering the most effective burger
Whereas the primary Burger Love wasn’t held till 2011, the concept for the marketing campaign got here from a summer time bucket record Dover and her husband created in 2008.
As each of them have been busy with the expansion of Recent Media, Dover mentioned they wished to strive new actions throughout that summer time in hopes they wouldn’t simply work it away. A type of actions included discovering the Island’s greatest burger.
“It was simply the 2 of us. We didn’t inform anybody about it, we simply did it as our personal endeavor,” she mentioned.
“We went to 14 completely different institutions, starting from roadside take-out stands to sports activities pubs, inns, bars, every thing.”
Dover mentioned one of many burgers stood out to each of them as the most effective, which was from the Stanhope resort. After they requested the chef what made the burger so particular, the chef advised them all the substances have been sourced from the Island.
“On the time, not many eating places have been sourcing native merchandise, so being a artistic advertising firm, we have been like okay, there may be positively one thing right here,” she mentioned.
From there, Dover mentioned they have been put in contact with P.E.I. beef producers in 2010 and from there, got here up with a marketing campaign that may spotlight the Island’s beef trade whereas additionally opening the door to getting extra native substances into Island meals institutions.
“It was actually simply that spark of an thought from having an expertise that was actually distinctive, that made us assume extra individuals wanted to have this expertise. It simply began from there and grew,” she mentioned.
A model of affection
Whereas letting go of Burger Love after greater than a decade of constructing it up is a troublesome resolution, Dover mentioned she is happy to see what another person can do with it.
She mentioned the sale of the Burger Love property additionally consists of all trademarking for Burger Love and the Love model throughout Canada.
“If anyone wished to do a Blueberry Love marketing campaign throughout the Blueberry Pageant, that’s an choice, so there are just a few completely different avenues individuals may take with it,” she mentioned, noting the model’s enlargement into P.E.I. Lobster Love in 2020-21.
Whereas Dover didn’t disclose the asking value for the model, she mentioned these curious about main Burger Love and taking on the model can contact Recent Media and will probably be put involved with the guide organizing the sale.
“What I stay up for is seeing another person take the reins of Burger Love, construct upon what we’ve established and add in every kind of different enjoyable new issues they will incorporate,” mentioned Dover.
“I might identical to to see it stay on greater than something, in order that I can go get pleasure from it as a buyer.”
