You can get your hands on free patties at Toronto’s Union Station on Friday in celebration of the city’s 39th annual Jamaican Patty Day.
On Feb. 23, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) will be handing out thousands of free beef patties, courtesy of Patties Express, at the Jamaica pop-up space at the Bay Union Samples Kiosk inside Union Station.
The team will be handing out patties from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will also be offering information about the popular island destination.
“Each year, Jamaican Patty Day celebrates a unique part of Toronto’s history while acknowledging the important contributions that the Jamaican Diaspora has made on the city’s culinary identity,” Regional Director of JTB Canada Angella Bennett said in a news release.
JTB will also be giving away a special price trip for two to Kingston, Jamaica courtesy of Flair Airlines and Spanish Court Hotel. Contest entries can be submitted at visitjamaica.com/patty-day until Sunday, Feb. 25.
Jamaican Patty Day in the city dates back to what’s described as the Patty Wars in the mid 80s when there was beef between Jamaican patty vendors and local food inspectors.
Inspectors claimed that patty shops couldn’t use the term “beef patties” to describe their food. But following a series of court battles, the conflict was resolved in a ruling on Feb. 23, 1985, marking the inception of Jamaican Patty Day in Toronto.
