Winnipeg’s first Baconfest was a salt-laden, finger-lickin’, delicious success.

Twelve chefs from twelve local restaurants dished up bacon-inspired cuisine to about 100 attendees at the Richardson Complex for the Environment at the University of Winnipeg Wednesday night. The dishes ranged from the warm and comforting (like bacon mac ‘n’ cheese from The Tallest Poppy) to the sweetly divine (like the chocolate Fresh Bacon Truffle from Chocolatier Constance Popp) to the rather bizarrely delicious (deconstructed bacon fat salad shooter, anyone?)

The fundraiser, the brainchild of Hot 103′s Ace Burpee, couldn’t have gone better, said Burpee.

“Honestly, I knew it would be good, but it was better than I imagined,” he said.

Burpee said the event raised $9,300 for the United Way.

Burpee gave credit to all the chefs who created their dishes and donated them for a good cause, but also to Chefs Ben Kramer and Alexander Svenne for helping him put the event together in only a few weeks.

“It would have been a good idea that never happened without them,” said Burpee. “They have the right mindset and work ethic and they made it work.”