Michael-Ann Rowe

Background

About Michael-Ann Rowe

Fun fact! I studied theatre where I grew up in Atlantic Canada; home to some of the most sustainable seafood on earth! Long story-short, the journey to the bright lights of NYC brought many opportunities including hosting a local television show called Entree TV. That opportunity led to my first food & travel documentary series called, Off the Beaten Palate. The name of my company. Off the Beaten Palate comes from my infatuation and great curiosities about where food comes from. I wanted to get to the source to talk to local farmers and fisherman, and share these stories with the world. There is nothing like being aboard a herring carrier to witness purse & seining and getting inside the world's largest sardine cannery to witness the women hand-cutting the fish and packing them into cans. I traveled to the world’s largest salmon farm in BC to learn the growing process from fry to smolt, to a 12lb’er! Droving cattle, riding in a combine in a canola field, and learning about hydroponics, are the experiences that make a world of difference if you’re going to write about them. I started the documentary journey in my home province of New Brunswick where the abundance of sustainable seafood thrives in the Atlantic ocean surrounding the province. I wrote, produced, hosted, and raised the funding for the series. It came with much grit and grind but was all worth it. I won the coveted Emmy Award! That was the beginning of diving deeper into agri-food, and especially seafood. During the series launch, I realized that seafood’s ‘mystery food’ still had a long way to go to come out of the closet! People are simply not educated enough. Still. This has led me to create brands like, Put Your Best Fish Forward, and now, The Fishionista®. Sea Sides is also the works. My background in theater, television, and video production has worked extremely well in my roles as on-camera spokesperson, educator and promoter of sustainable seafood. I am the founder of the Canadian Oyster Festival, NY and the Lobster MasterClass. My work also involves cross-border business opportunities and Canadian trade missions in the US. The marriage of theatre and food is a natural fit. After all, what good kitchen doesn’t have drama? Contact me for partnerships with the new Fishionista® Channel; a kitchen theatre for cooking seafood! Memberships include, Les Dames d'Escoffier, NYC; Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, Chefs Collaborative, Lobster Council of Canada, Slow Food/Fish, Ambassador: Seafood Nutrition Partnership