August is Bacon Month in Manitoba and Manitoba Pork is once again inviting bacon lovers in Canada’s bacon capital to enter their contest to win bacon for a year.

The Maple Leaf Foods plant on Lagimodière Boulevard is the largest bacon processing facility in Canada, producing more than 25 million kilograms of bacon each year. A recently announced investment in the facility by the federal and provincial governments means that bacon production at the plant will increase by 8 million kilograms a year in the near future.

“Manitoba is proud to be the bacon capital of Canada and we’re inviting everyone to celebrate Bacon Month with us,” notes Manitoba Pork Chair George Matheson. “The Manitoba hog industry contributes over $1.7 billion annually to our economy and provides over 13,000 jobs. And, of course, bacon makes everything better!”

Manitoba Pork will be celebrating everyone’s favourite savoury meat at a variety of events, including at the Winnipeg Goldeyes game on August 17. Shaw Park will be sizzling with bacon promotions and bacon-themed edibles. The Goldeyes will be wearing special bacon jerseys and bacon-wear will be available for purchase.

Bacon Month continues at the Manitoba Pork tent at the Winnipeg BBQ & Blues Festival on August 19-20 at the Burton Cummings Theatre and wraps up on August 31 with a Bacon Party at Pony Corral Pier 7, 1700 Pembina Highway. At the end of the month, 20 lucky bacon lovers will bring home the bacon from the ‘Bacon For a Year’ contest.

Some interesting bacon facts:

  • The expression ‘bring home the bacon’ comes from the sport of catching a greased pig at country fairs. The winner kept the pig and brought home the bacon!
  • Bacon has been called ‘meat candy’ – it is decadent, rich and indulgent.
  • There are varieties of bacon flavoured beer, vodka and bourbon. The Bacon Bloody Mary and Bacontini are popular bacon cocktails.
  • Bacon is a healthy addiction containing umami, a savoury taste that makes you want more. Bacon also contains vitamins B1 and B12, zinc and selenium.
  • Manitoba bacon makes it better in over 30 countries around the world.

Visit manitobapork.com/bacon for more fun bacon facts and to enter the ‘Bacon for a Year’ contest.