Lorrie King shares what she loves most about being a TL Insider

Toronto Life Insider is a membership club designed to connect you to the city you love. Membership comes with an upgraded subscription to Toronto Life and FASHION magazine, access to Toronto’s most-prized restaurants and patios, invitations to workshops, cooking and cocktail masterclasses, exclusive giveaways and more.

For a closer look at the TL Insider experience, we caught up with longtime member Lorrie King who shared what she loves most about being a member. King is a partner at Deloitte’s Private Audit and Advisory division, who has been reacquainting herself with the city by way of TL Insider since returning to the downtown core from Vaughan in 2018. When she’s not working with Canada’s largest professional services firm, King and her husband John enjoy exploring some of the city’s best in entertainment, food and culture with TL Insider.

When did you become a TL Insider and what attracted you to the program?

We joined as soon as the program was announced! My husband John and I became subscribers of Toronto Life while we were still living in Vaughan, and once we heard about the launch of TL Insider, we knew we had to join. On top of the perks and fun programming, what drew me to TL Insider was the early insight into cool things happening across the city—whether it’s a new restaurant opening or film festival.

Have any events really stood out to you?

We recently attended Toronto Life’s Best Restaurants event—TL Insiders had early access to tickets—and it was absolutely incredible. There were a lot of great vendors, but my favourite part about this type of event is the way it encourages me to try new things. For example, I’m not usually a fan of Indian food, but there was a dish from Adrak that I fell in love with. What makes a great food and drink experience?

I think what’s most important about any food and drink event is that an experience that feels unique and curated—it’s something that TL Insider does really well. John and I have had the opportunity to engage with some of Toronto’s best chefs, hear about how they create their menus and enjoy drink pairings with specially curated four or five-course meals. It’s a unique type of dining that I don’t think many people in the city often get the chance to experience. 

How do TL Insider events fit into your personal and professional life?

There are always opportunities for networking at TL Insider events, simply because of the diverse group of people who attend. So, in a way, it pairs well with my professional life. While I usually attend with my husband simply for the fun of spending a night out on the town, we actually promote TL Insider within Deloitte as well. Because a very high percentage of our workforce is under or around the age of thirty, including many people who are new to the city, we promote membership as a way for people to get familiar with Toronto, meet new people and learn about what the city has to offer. 

How has membership kept you in the know when it comes to the latest in the city?

Every month, we receive event listings and emails about what to look forward to in the coming month, so there’s always a knowledge of what’s happening. For me, it’s especially useful for learning about what’s going on in other neighbourhoods. Toronto tends to be a city of little villages. You may know what’s happening around you but not often what’s happening across town. For example, we would have never discovered Mineral, a fantastic Filipino restaurant in Rosedale, if it hadn’t been for TL Insider. Now, we’ve become the cool kids in the city to all our GTA friends who we’ll sometimes buy tickets for and have join us for an event. 

Do you have any tips for new TL Insiders wanting to make the most of membership?

My advice is to try as many different things as possible. Shoot your shot with the giveaways, join an event in a neighbourhood you’ve never visited, etcetera. If you’re open minded and willing to try new things, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how much you can get out of being TL Insider. 

Become a TL Insider today at a special rate of $75! Sign up here.