FFTF12

Magik Moments Await at our Trivia Party!

Our annual appreciation party for volunteers, donors and members of our Champion Radish club is coming up on June 12th. We're giving thanks to all the folks that support Growing Chefs by contributing the time, expertise, and funds that make our work possible.

Here’s what we have planned for this year’s party:

Elevate Your Selfie:
Magik Moments will be at the event! Bring your smile (and your silly) and capture the fun!

Trivia:
The quiz-tacular party begins at 4:30pm and we'll be hosting two rounds of family-friendly food trivia at 5:00pm and 5:45pm!

Food & Drinks:

We’ll be snacking on:
Aiyaohno Cafe: vegan gyoza and edamame hummus with crudité.
Salmon n' Bannock & Earnest Ice Cream: Signature Bannock served with Jam and a scoop of Earnest Ice Cream. 
We hope you will leave our party having tasted some fantastic flavours. Our offerings will be appetizer-size portions, please make plans for dinner after the event.

We’ll be sipping up:
Phillips Soda Works, Sheringham Gin, Lumette!, wine, beer and more! 

Prizes:
Trivia and Door prizes generously donated by Bruno Feldeisen, Earnest Ice Cream, East Van Jam, HerbaLand Naturals, House of Knives, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Sea Cider, Tacofino, and West Coast Seeds.  

Details:
Date: Wednesday, June 12th
Time: 4:30-6:30pm
Location: Gladstone Secondary School  - Cafeteria

Registration:
If you are a donor, volunteer, or enthusiastic supporter of Growing Chefs, this event is for you. We ask that all attendees are registered for the event. Please reach out to afton@growingchefs.ca to receive a registration link. Kids are welcome to attend!

Special Thanks to our Event & Prize Sponsors

Donor Shoutout: Culinary Cache

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We soared through the From Farms to Forks Food Series, but we want to take a moment to look back and spread the love to our amazing sponsors and donors. Today we will be acknowledging those who contributed to our Culinary Cache, a complimentary gift bag that was delivered to our Food Series pass holders filled with tasty treats and products celebrating local food producers and businesses.

A big thank you to: Biota Fermentation, Dageraad Brewing, Davis Bay Tea Company, Earnest Ice Cream, East Van Jam, Edible Vancouver Magazine, Fresh Prep, Fresh Roots, Tempo Gin, Helmer's Organic Farm, House of Knives, KICS Lemonade, Klippers Organics, Legends Haul, Mission Hill Family Estate, Nature Bee Beeswax Wraps, Ono Vancouver, RISE Kombucha, Shaketown Brewing, Spread'Em Kitchen, The Preservatory, and Whole Foods Market.

An extra thank you to J. Josue Photography for capturing all of these images, Il Centro, Italian Cultural Centre for providing a safe space to pack our caches, our amazing volunteers from Traction on Demand for helping to pack everything, and Modo for zipping us around town! Below are photos of our team hard at work, and our donors LOVING their caches!

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Four Season Foraging

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FOUR SEASON FORAGING

Wednesday, October 13th at 7:30 pm (PST)

Spend time with Robin Kort of Swallow Tail Tours, Lori Snyder, Indigenous herbalist & educator, and Steph Ganea of Seeker’s Club to learn the ins and outs of foraging safely, ethically, and sustainably year round!

  • $75 ticket - Includes $25 tax receipt, reference materials, dish ingredients and recipe, and wine. Pickup on October 12th from 4:00-7:00PM at the Italian Cultural Centre, 3075 Slocan St, Vancouver.

  • $20 zoom-only ticket - Includes virtual access (no beverages/ingredients).

Guests will receive the ingredients and recipe to prepare a dish designed by Chef Devon Latte of The Acorn, and a bottle of wine from Mission Hill Family Estate.

Maple + Sherry Glazed Vancouver Island Chanterelles from Lance "Wildcraft" Staples, Caramelized Chanterelle Purée, Toasted Haida Gwaii Wakame. Finished with Harissa Olive Oil from Victoria Olive Oil Co.

Special Guests

Photo Credit: Food Network

Photo Credit: Food Network

Lori Snyder

Lori Snyder is a Métis herbalist and educator who shares the wisdom and traditions of her Indigenous roots. Tsuu T’ina, Anishinaabe, Cree, Nakoda, and Nipissing Nations are mixed with her Scottish, French, and Celtic ancestry. She shares knowledge with people of all ages, reminding us of the practices of reciprocity with all that exists.

My favourite local ingredient is: Any fruit or vegetable that grows locally, like salal berries.

The best advice I can give a child who wants to become a chef is: Try not to eat sugar so you can educate your palate and really taste the wonderful world of flavours.

My favourite meal to cook for myself is: Roasted vegetable lentil cumin soup.

If I could have any superpower it would be: The ability to clean up the ocean.

I believe programs like Growing Chefs are important because: Food is the gift of life, and anyone who shares that love is important.

Chef Robin Kort - Swallow Tail Tours

My favourite seasonal vegetable is: Tomato.

My favourite local ingredient is: Sea Urchin.

The best advice I can give a child who wants to become a chef is: Play with your food!

My favourite meal to cook for myself is: Congee with wild mushrooms is my comfort food.

My favourite food memory when I was a kid is: Picking berries with my Grandma and making Saskatoon berry pie.

I believe programs like Growing Chefs are important because: Having a healthy relationship with food and knowing where it comes from is just the right thing to engender in a kid, both for their own health and to show respect for the earth.

Steph Ganea - Seeker’s Club

My favourite seasonal vegetables are: Perfectly ripened heirloom or cherry tomatoes.

My favourite local ingredients are: Chanterelle or Lobster mushrooms.

The best advice I can give a child who wants to become a chef is: Help in the kitchen as much as you can! If you’re curious about an ingredient, ask, or research it yourself. Ask if you can experiment with one new ingredient or recipe a month. Try to grow a garden. Learn about your local wild edibles to really take your cooking skills to the next level.

If I could have any superpower it would be: Definitely flying. It would make getting to the best foraging spots a breeze.

Chef Devon Latte - The Acorn

My favourite local ingredient is: The bounty of local wild foraged mushrooms and greens!

My favourite food memory when I was a kid is: Gardening with my mom, grilling in the summers with my dad!

The best advice I can give a child who wants to become a chef is: Start cooking as much as possible in your younger years, read plenty of books on technique.  Understanding food is the most important part of cooking!

I believe programs like Growing Chefs are important because: This program is amazing.  Having the younger generation understand what it takes to grow food, even in urban environments, is extremely important.  In this new world of ultra-take out, cooking at home is becoming more and more rare. The act of showing and teaching kids to grow and cook food, how delicious and nutritious it really is, it's priceless!

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It's Back! From Farms to Forks Year 12!

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For Immediate Release
Vancouver + Victoria, BC:

Growing Chefs’ From Farms to Forks is returning for its 12th year this October! Like our palates, this event has evolved over the years and has grown from a one-night event into a series of events that are accessible across Vancouver and Victoria-- and virtually for those across B.C. and Canada! 

This series of events is a celebration of local chefs, restaurants, and food producers while highlighting the importance of community and connection surrounding food. For the safety of all including chefs, restaurants, and guests, From Farms to Forks will remain online this year but each online event will be jam-packed with energy, education, and eats!

The aim is to raise $65,000 for Growing Chefs edible education programming and initiatives throughout the upcoming school year supporting B.C. kids and their families. This is an opportunity for foodies around the province to show their love for the Industry while supporting the next generation of food lovers. 

With five online events plus an online auction and 50/50 raffle there are multiple ways for food lovers around B.C. and Canada to get involved throughout the five-week fundraising event. The online auction and 50/50 raffle will run from Friday, October 1, 2021 until Sunday, November 7, 2021 that is open to everyone. 

Tickets for the five-week event go on sale on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 9am. Tickets are limited.

The 2021 Lineup of Events are: 

  • Sunday, October 3, 2021 at 8:00PM - Culinary Kick-Off & Secret Menu takeout dinner*
    Join us for the kick-off party and enjoy menus from a small selection (shhh it’s a secret) of Vancouver and Victoria restaurants with special guests popping into the event to say hello! Part of the series pass only.

  • Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 7:30PM - Four Season Foraging*
    Spend the evening with Robin Kort of Swallow Tail Tours and other foraging experts and educators to learn the ins and outs of foraging safely, ethically, and sustainably year round! Part of the series pass or individually priced.

  • Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at 6:00PM - Catching Fillings - For the Love of Dumplings (Cooking Class)*
    How do dumplings connect to us, our cuisines, and our cultures? Let Chefs Karima Chellouf, Matthew Murtagh-Wu and more guide you through a dumpling-folding class as they share their techniques, their stories, and their love of dumplings! Part of the series pass or individually priced.

  • Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 8:00PM - Trivial Charcutes Local Food Trivia*
    You’ll be served up 12 courses of delicious local food trivia  hosted by Growing Chefs’ own trivia buff and Program Director Amanda Adams! Halloween costumes are encouraged and there will be lots of treats to win! Part of the series pass or individually priced.

  • Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 10:00AM - Choose Your Own Brunch Adventure (Family Cooking Class)*
    Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but Brunch is an event with this Family Cooking Class which allows the kids in your life to get their hands dirty and start their day with food, fun, and family! Part of the series pass or individually priced.

*Please note these events may include a drop-off or pick-up of partial ingredients/beverages from a central location in either Vancouver or Victoria.

Passes for access to all five events of the Food Series are $250 per person or $450 per couple (and include a $200 or $400 charitable tax receipt, respectively). The Secret Menu takeout dinner for October 3rd is an added $50 per ticket which goes directly to the restaurant. All pass holders will receive a Culinary Cache filled with tasty treats and products with a focus on preventing food waste and food preservation from local food producers and businesses. The Culinary Cache is limited to the first 100 pass holders- so get your tickets early! 

Prices for individual events vary. Individual event tickets range from $20 (for virtual access only) to $75 (includes ingredients and/or beverages).

Tickets and additional information will be available on www.growingchefs.ca. 

We’re grape-ful to have Mission Hill Family Estate Winery back this year as our wine sponsor. 

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For additional information please contact:

Media Contact
Kathleen Beveridge
kmhbeveridge at gmail.com
604.999.1934

Development & Communications Director, Growing Chefs
Jaydeen Williams
jaydeen at growingchefs.ca
604.710.1677