The Belleville Downtown District BIA hosted their second annual Savour The Heat competition this past Saturday, May 9th 2026. It was a beautiful sunny day and Downtown Belleville was bustling with activity as locals and visitors indulged in delicious spicy treats and explored local businesses in the Downtown District.
This year’s award winning, Savour The Heat event, featured a fierce competition among 15 downtown businesses, each motivated to create the most delicious spicy dishes for both the public and a panel of judges.
The judges, Krysten Bonisteel of Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop, Jason Bonisteel GIS Supervisor at City of Belleville, Julie Lacrosse Executive Director of the Belleville Caribbean African Organization, Jessica Purchase of Evolve Wellness and winner of our social media contest Sabrina Dourado all enjoyed exploring the District and sampling delicious dishes from Downtown Restaurants.
After careful deliberation and counting of the votes, we are thrilled to announce the winners of the Savour The Heat 2026 awards:
People’s Choice Award:
First Place- Capers Restaurant for their Bird’s Eye Chili Caramel Cheesecake
Second Place- The Lark for their Mama Mia! That’s-a one spicy meatball!
Third Place- Bourbon Street Pizza Co. for their Honey Heatwave Pizza
Judge’s Choice Award:
First Place- Cookie Jar Baking Belleville for their Spicy Macaron
Second Place- Pho Blue Basil for their Vegetarian Basil Blaze Fried Rice
Third Place- Bourbon Street Pizza Co. for their Honey Heatwave Pizza
Expressing her delight at the event’s success, Danielle Hanoman, Executive Director of the Belleville Downtown Business Area, remarked, “It was amazing to see the community come together to support local businesses, explore the downtown district, and enjoy such unique culinary experiences. Events like this highlight the energy and vibrancy of Downtown Belleville, and we’re thrilled with the continued growth and success of the event.”
The success of Savour The Heat would not have been possible without the support and participation of our downtown businesses, dedicated volunteers, and esteemed panel of judges. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our judges and the public making this event a resounding success.
We look forward to seeing everyone come out again and enjoy the kick off of the summer season at Downtown @ Dusk on Friday June 19th from 4-10pm on Front Street in Downtown Belleville! There will be live music, great food, market vendors, fashion and fun!
For more information about upcoming events and initiatives in Downtown Belleville, please visit www.downtownbelleville.ca
