ALFRESCO HOME, DISTRIBUTOR OF THE RECENTLY launched and Vesta Award–winning Fervor™ grill, won first place in the Grill Distributors of Quebec Province Annual Cooking Competition. Rick Baker, Alfresco Home brand manager for the Fervor and Fornetto™lines of outdoor-cooking products, and Kimberly Cilio, part-owner of Alfresco Home, traveled to Montreal to provide Fervor retail training while participating in the new competition.

“The distribution of the Fervor grill in Canada is filled with excitement. Training our distribution network in Quebec and cooking in the grill competition against four other leading brands was an exciting way for us to bring the Fervor grill to the Canadian market in this province. Participating was fun, winning was just awesome, and we appreciate the opportunity to showcase the great performance of the Fervor grill,” Cilio says.

Alfresco Home, in concert with the Fervor and Fornetto brands, has established strong partnerships in Canada, working with successful hearth/home providers. Establishing a strong network of retailers who understand what makes Fervor a superior grill is very important to the brand’s overall success, Baker notes.

“Fervor, which hit the North American market last year, was a great success overall. It takes time to teach and train retailers on the benefits of our grills and ovens. There is no doubt that they are unique, well-built products designed to outperform their competition—at a great value. When a retailer commits to this brand, it does not disappoint, and it gives the independent retailer the chance to segregate itself from the mass brands,” Baker says.

Low temperatures in Montreal did not detract from Fervor’s performance, and the delicious rosemary and grilled lamb chops and grilled Caesar salad were enjoyed by more than 40 members and judges. The Fervor Icon series six-burner grill kept cooking throughout the afternoon, with its 60,000Btu burners and powerful brass side burner churning out grilled bacon and hot cocoa with bourbon.