Growing Chefs! relies on so many individuals who contribute their time and money to ensure children have access to our programs. In Brad Bodnarchuk’s case, he contributes both, and more! Brad, of Half a Dozen Hospitality, is a restaurant consultant, podcast host, father, and jack-of-all-trades. Between the hours he spends with our program teaching kids about yummy vegetables and healthy food systems, and organizing delicious fundraisers to benefit our charity and others, we are humbled by his ongoing support of our mission and organization. Here’s your chance to get to know Brad!
What about Growing Chefs! resonates with you?
I’ve always been super intrigued by food and people, so right off the bat, this program fulfills that for me. Taking this another step further, I truly love having the ability to work with and teach children. As a father myself, I take a ton of pride in sharing what I know about food with my daughter; it has been the same with the kids I’ve been lucky enough to interact with at Growing Chefs! Giving back to the community and helping share my passion for food with these kids has grown my passion for food even further.
What is your favourite Growing Chefs! lesson?
That is a really tough one, since each lesson seems to have it’s own unique and special memory attached to it. If I had to pick one, it would have to be the first lesson when we help the kids plant seeds in the soil. There is something so cool and symbolic about that process and seeing how engaged the kids are with this lesson makes it really special. I feel that showing them how easy it is to do something such as growing peas or lettuce opens their eyes to the real possibilities of fresh and healthy food.
Do you have a garden at home?
We are so lucky to have some great outdoor space in East Vancouver that gets a ton of natural morning and afternoon sun that has helped us to grow herbs, lettuces, tomatoes, strawberries, and blueberries. It is a true luxury in the summer months to be able to hop outside to harvest some of your very own food that you planted just weeks before.
What's your favourite vegetable?
Easily the potato. So many different types that you can prepare in so many different ways. I don’t think I will ever get sick of potatoes.
What's your favourite seasonal recipe?
Seeing as it’s November at the moment, you can still get some pretty spectacular local beets. I am a sucker for what I call a Beet Poke Salad. Essentially, you are replacing the raw fish you would traditionally see in a Poke bowl with roasted beets! The flavours are incredible and it is probably one of my favourite dishes to make guests whenever we host a dinner - it’s usually a hit.
Earlier this year your business, Half a Dozen Hospitality, hosted a dinner to benefit Growing Chefs! Tell us a little more about the dinner and/or the work you do?
That dinner was such a great time! Admittedly, I had no real idea how it was going to turn out. At the time, the Half A Dozen Hospitality Dinner Series had never been done before so our Growing Chefs! dinner was the first of its kind. The premise for the dinners is pretty simple: we pair a local chef with a local farm, and host anywhere between 40 - 60 people for an incredible 6-course meal. The idea came to me as I was lying in bed one night! I thought about creating a platform to connect the awesome people I consult with in the hospitality industry with the community on more positively impactful level. I decided to commit to executing 6 dinners throughout 2019 - basically one every 8 weeks - and see how much money we could raise for different local charities. With each dinner, we take all of the profits and donate them to a local charity that has a food component to their program. Growing Chefs! was a natural fit for our first ever dinner, and we hope to work with you again in 2020.
Anything else you'd like to share?
Honestly, I’ve just been really impressed with the kids and their willingness to try almost anything… and also, really eating their vegetables! For me, growing up I wasn’t nearly as adventurous, nor did I want to eat a plate of vegetables, but these kids are asking for seconds and thirds! I think this is so great and is going to serve them well as they grow.
To anyone that has the time and the ability to volunteer to help Growing Chefs! or a program like it, I would strongly advise you do it. You will learn more about your community than ever before and you will, no doubt, take so much joy from seeing the smiling faces of the people that you have had such a positive impact on.