We're Rootin' for Radishes this spring! What's Growing On? Spring 2024

Happy spring to the Growing Chefs community!

I’m so happy to be back in my role of Co-Executive Director at Growing Chefs after my parental leave. I have returned to an organization that is branching out while remaining firmly rooted in our mission, and having a little one at home is a daily reminder of how valuable our programs are to B.C. kids.

We hope you enjoy our annual spring newsletter where you can find exciting ways to champion edible education this month, program highlights from our Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program and LunchLAB, and a sneak peek to upcoming events this year!

– Jaydeen Williams, Co-Executive Director, Communications & Engagement

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This spring we’re Rootin’ For Radishes! Become a Champion Radish (monthly donor) and support B.C. kids and communities today!

This spring we’re Rootin’ for Radishes!

You may have heard of daikon or easter egg radishes, but there’s a special variety of radishes that pack an even greater punch and they’re called Champion Radishes!

Join our monthly donor program, The Champion Radish Club, to seed change this spring! Becoming a Champion Radish is easy and provides maximum impact. Monthly donations provide a steady stream of income to help us to educate kids, families, and their communities about local food systems. These gifts provide sustainable and reliable funds, facilitate program planning and implementation, and help us lower administrative costs.

We are thrilled to have over 100 Champion Radish donors working together to support our mission of impactful edible education! Small, regular donations can lead to big results whether your budget allows for $5, $20, $50, or $100. You can also easily change the donation amount or withdrawal date, or even pause your scheduled donation at any time.

Join us today:

• Become a monthly donor for as little as $5/month

• Increase your monthly donation

• Refer a friend to become a monthly donor

For the month of March, CanadaHelps is running ‘Make It Monthly’, where every new monthly donation of $20 or more will be boosted by $20 and increases of $10 or more from pre-existing monthly donors are boosted by $10. Join today and help us reach our goal of 125 Champion Radishes!

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Upcoming Growing Chefs event dates

Save these dates!

Sunday, April 28th: Growing Chefs and ONE TO ONE will be hosting a virtual event with Nadia L. Hohn, editor of The Antiracist Kitchen. This book features 21 different stories and recipes from kids celebrating food, cultures, and resistance. We hope you join us for an afternoon of food literacy and justice; more information to come!

Sunday, October 6th: We are so excited to announce the date for our 15th Annual From Farms to Forks gala! Be sure to mark your calendars for a spectacular harvest kitchen party that brings together local chefs, growers, and makers for an evening of delightful tasting plates and pairings.

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Growing Chefs volunteer with student in Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program

We’re looking for volunteers!

Are you looking to deepen your impact with Growing Chefs and Edible Education? Join our community and volunteer!

Volunteer for the Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program (click to learn more): Facilitate four lessons across four consecutive weeks. Lessons run on the same day and time every week, either in the late morning or early afternoon. Three-hour weekly commitment during the four-week session. Volunteer orientation provided.

Volunteer for LunchLAB (click to learn more): Sign-up for 2-4 hour lunchtime shifts Tuesdays–Fridays at Lord Roberts or John Norquay Elementary Schools (lunch included). Volunteer orientation provided.

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LunchLAB Chef-in-Residence Tahani Alkashef at John Norquay Elementary School for Nowruz feast.

What’s growing on in schools?

LunchLAB:

• We are thrilled to announce our new LunchLAB Chef-in-Residence at Lord Roberts Elementary School, Chef Tahani Alkashef!

• We welcomed new student chefs who learned kitchen and food safety, cooked diverse cultural dishes, and explored all their senses while eating.

• We celebrated Nowruz, Persian New Year, at Norquay with a feast featuring Persian Rice, Baharat Spice Chicken, and Vegan Tomato Stew.

• Thanks to a great turnout of volunteers, LunchLAB Norquay will be expanding to serve 200 students nourishing, accessible, and culturally-relevant meals!

Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program:

• Last week, we wrapped the first run of our spring classroom programming where our team visited four classrooms over the past month.

• While students head off for spring break, our team will be making adjustments to our curriculum, ensuring everything is ready to go when we visit new classrooms!

• Each year, generous families and businesses donate to adopt a Growing Chefs classroom. These funds support the edible education experience for up to 25 B.C. kids through our Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program. Contact Afton Bell to learn how you can Adopt a Classroom.

Thank you to our 2024 Adopt a Classroom donors: Barbara Mackenzie, Connor, Clark & Lunn, Mary and Gordon Christopher Foundation, and Les Dames d'Escoffier.

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Growing Chefs Co-Executive Director Amanda Adams on CBC On The Coast with Gloria Macarenko.

What’s growing on in the news?
Our very own Co-Executive Director of Programs & Operations, Amanda Adams, joined Gloria Macarenko on CBC On the Coast to discuss how edible education programs like LunchLAB are vital for our communities. A fantastic and informative 7 minute segment, listen below!

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Today is the first day of spring, which means it’s time to celebrate Nowruz!

Nowruz, also known as Iranian or Persian New Year, is a celebration of spring’s arrival and brighter days ahead. One of the best parts of any New Year celebration is the food. Days heading into Nowruz, families begin working on an assortment of cookies in different colours, shapes, textures, and flavours.

To celebrate Nowruz, we asked the people behind Delara, one of our favourite Persian restaurants in Vancouver, to share a recipe from their Nowruz-themed cookie bundle!

Toot cookie recipe for Nowruz from Delara.

Wishing our entire Growing Chefs community a fruitful spring with plentiful gardens, community connection, and ongoing learning.

Join our Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program!

Lead a hands-on, interactive classroom gardening and cooking program that teaches kids about healthy food and healthy food systems! We believe in the importance of connecting young children to their food through hands-on learning, getting their hands in the dirt, and teaching them how their food choices impact their personal health and the health of the environment. Get kids excited about growing, cooking, and eating good, nutritious food with Growing Chefs! 

Chef Jay teaching kids about growing food in the Classroom Gardening and Cooking Program.

Position title: Classroom Gardening and Cooking Program Volunteer

Position location: An elementary school near you! We work with schools all across the Lower Mainland and will pair you with a school that works for you. 

Time commitment: Volunteers will facilitate 4 lessons across 4 consecutive weeks. Lessons will run on the same day and at the same time every week, either in the late morning or early afternoon. Volunteers should expect to dedicate 2 hours a week to volunteering in the classroom. 

Our mission: Connecting chefs, kids, and communities to foster systemic change towards healthy, sustainable, just food practices.

Why we do it: 

• To improve the health and nutrition of kids and youth 

• To make local food accessible and sustainable 

• To support a healthy, sustainable and just food system 

• To build community communities through food

Key duties and responsibilities:

• Meet with your classroom team in advance of each lesson to review lesson outlines and plan lesson delivery 

• Adhere to Foodsafe health and safety procedures including proper hand-washing and food handling when preparing and serving food in the classroom

• Report to and receive direction from school staff and Growing Chefs’ staff

• Maintain a clean and safe learning environment for all

• Build and maintain positive relationships with students by embracing values of collaboration, patience, encouragement, and openness

• Provide students with direction and support as they slice, dice, chop, pickle, and try new foods 

• Encourage student participation and celebrate students' curiosity and accomplishments 

• Adapt lesson delivery to meet the needs of the classroom and students that you are working with, as directed by their classroom teacher

• Clean and safely store program equipment in between lessons

Boundaries:

• Volunteers are not to take photos of children under any circumstances

• Volunteers are to use designated adult washrooms while at school. Growing Chefs staff and/or school staff can direct you to adult washrooms

• Volunteers should never be left alone with students. Growing Chefs staff or school staff must always be present

• Volunteers are not to administer medication. Growing Chefs staff and school staff are trained to administer emergency medication, if needed

Qualifications: 

• A love of good food and a passion to share it 

• A desire to be part of a community 

• Experience working with children is not required but is an asset

• FoodSafe Certification is not required but is an asset

Other requirements: 

Before joining us in the classroom, all volunteers must: 

1. Complete a screening call with Growing Chefs staff

2. Apply for a Vulnerable Sector Check

3. Attend an orientation session

4. Provide Growing Chefs with two character references

Orientation and training: All volunteers must attend an orientation before joining us in the classroom. At the orientation, we will introduce our programs and discuss policies, procedures, and behavioral expectations that our volunteers must abide by when working in schools.

Support and supervision: Volunteer teams will work under the supervision of school staff and Growing Chefs staff while at school. If volunteers need support outside of their scheduled shift, they are welcome to reach out to Growing Chefs’ Volunteer Coordinator, Sam, at sam@growingchefs.ca. 

Volunteer benefits: 

• Work on a team of other volunteers who are passionate about supporting food justice and food literacy in Vancouver schools

• Gain experience working with youth in a school environment

• Develop your classroom management and teamwork skills

• Be a part of our rad community of supporters by attending engagement and appreciation events

How to apply: Fill out the application form on our website: https://www.growingchefs.ca/volunteer-with-us/. If you have questions about volunteering with Growing Chefs or need support applying, please email sam@growingchefs.ca.  

We're looking for LunchLAB Volunteers!

Support Growing Chefs’ Chef-in-Residence and Chef Educators as they teach student chefs how to cut, slice, dice, and serve their peers a hot, nourishing lunch at LunchLAB! Check out this short film by CBC Vancouver to get a feel for what LunchLAB looks like at Lord Roberts Elementary School.

LunchLAB volunteer mentoring student chef at John Norquay Elementary School.

Serving 100-200 kids a hot lunch is a big job. And one that we simply couldn’t do without our LunchLAB volunteers. With the support of volunteers like you, our Chefs-in-Residence are freed up to focus on educating student chefs, and feeding all of the hungry mouths that come through the lunchroom! 

Position title: LunchLAB Volunteer 

Position location: Lord Roberts Elementary School and John Norquay Elementary School

Impact of the role: Serving 100-200 kids a hot lunch is a big job. And one that we simply couldn’t do without our LunchLAB volunteers. With the support of volunteers like you, our Chefs-in-Residence are freed up to focus on educating student chefs, and feeding all of the hungry mouths that come through the lunchroom! 

Our mission: Connecting chefs, kids, and communities to foster systemic change towards healthy, sustainable, just food practices.

Key duties and responsibilities:

• Adhere to Foodsafe health and safety procedures including proper hand-washing, mask-wearing, and hair protection

• Report to and receive directions from Growing Chefs’ Chef-in-Residence and Chef Educators​​​​​​

• Assist in setting up, cleaning, and taking down work stations, service stations, and wash stations

• Maintain a clean and safe working environment for all

• Build and maintain positive relationships with student chefs by embracing values of collaboration, patience, encouragement, and openness

• Provide student chefs with direction and support as they slice, dice, chop, pickle, and blend ingredients for lunch service 

• Encourage student chefs’ participation and celebrate student chefs’ accomplishments 

• Remind student chefs of knife safety, food safety, and kitchen safety procedures 

• Assist with preparing food, as directed by the Chef-in-Residence and/or Chef Educator

• Clean and put away equipment and dishes from lunch service 

Time commitment: At Lord Roberts Elementary School, volunteer shifts are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-2, 11-2, or 12-2, depending on the shift that you choose! At John Norquay Elementary School, volunteer shifts are on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10-2, 11-2, or 12-2. Volunteers aren’t expected to make an ongoing commitment to volunteer with us, but the impact on the students is greatest when they get to work with the same people week after week, so volunteering regularly is encouraged and appreciated!

Work environment: Student instruction, food preparation, and mealtime takes place in the lunchroom. At Lord Roberts Elementary School, the lunchroom can only be accessed by a short flight of stairs. At John Norquary Elementary School, the lunchroom is accessible to folks who use mobility aids. Lunchrooms are quite loud during mealtime, which may be distressing for folks with auditory processing disorders.

Boundaries:

• Volunteers are not to take photos of children under any circumstances. 

• Volunteers are to use designated adult washrooms while at school. Growing Chefs staff and/or school staff can direct you to adult washrooms. 

• Volunteers should never be left alone with students. Growing Chefs' staff or school staff must always be present.

• Volunteers are not to administer medication. Growing Chefs staff and school staff are trained to administer emergency medication, if needed.

Qualifications: 

• A love of good food and a passion to share it

• A desire to be part of a community 

• Experience working with children is not required but is an asset

• FoodSafe Certification is not required but is an asset

Other requirements: 

Before joining us in the lunchroom, all volunteers must: 

1. Complete a screening call with Growing Chefs staff

2. Apply for a Vulnerable Sector Check

3. Attend an orientation session

4. Provide Growing Chefs with two character references

Orientation and training: All volunteers must attend an orientation before joining us in the lunchroom. At the orientation, we will introduce our programs and discuss policies, procedures, and behavioural expectations that our volunteers must abide by when working in schools.

Support and supervision: Volunteer teams will work under the supervision of Growing Chefs’ Chef-in-Residence, and Chef Educators while at school. If volunteers need support during their shift, they can ask the Chef-in-Residence or Chef Educators. If volunteers need support outside of their scheduled shift, they are welcome to reach out to Growing Chefs’ Volunteer Coordinator, Sam, at sam@growingchefs.ca. 

Volunteer benefits: 

• Work on a team of other volunteers who are passionate about supporting food justice and food literacy in Vancouver schools

• Learn new cooking skills and techniques from our Chef team

• Gain experience working with youth in a school environment

• Be a part of our rad community of supporters by attending Growing Chefs’ engagement and appreciation events

How to apply: Fill out the application form on our website: https://www.growingchefs.ca/volunteer-with-us/. If you have questions about volunteering with Growing Chefs or need support applying, please email sam@growingchefs.ca. 

What's Growing On? Winter 2024

Happy winter to our Growing Chefs community!

We are thrilled to be back to support B.C. kids and families through edible education programming this year. There are many winter-ful updates and upcoming community events, we can’t wait to share them all with you!

In this newsletter, we’re going back in time with a Year-In-Review to celebrate our community’s hard work over this past year. Additionally, we’ll be highlighting a sweet celebration to cure your winter blues!  

Thank you to everyone who supported the Growing Chefs community over the past year, from educators, volunteers, donors, chefs, and more. Together, we hope to continue sowing the seeds of change in 2024.

– Amanda & Madi, Co-Executive Directors

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Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival 2024

The Hot Chocolate Festival is back — bigger and sweeter than ever!

We’re grateful and excited to share that we’ve been selected again as a charitable partner, alongside the incredible Vancouver Farmers Market’s Fresh to Families program, for the Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival 2024! Last year, cafés and bakeries around Vancouver whipped up innovative and scrumptious drinks to participate in the festival, and generously donated over $20,000 in proceeds to support our work in the community.

Come brace the chilly winter from now until February 14th and support the Growing Chefs and Fresh to Families communities with a cozy cocoa in hand.

Check out the list of participating restaurants and amazing flavours below.

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Learn more about VFM’s Fresh to Families program:

The Fresh to Families program provides access to fresh, locally grown food to lower-income families, pregnant women, and seniors. Program participants get the dignity to choose the foods that work best for them and every dollar redeemed goes straight to BC farmers and producer vendors.  Learn more about the program and support the program with your donations.

Growing Chefs Society Annual General Meeting on February 25th, 2024 from 1-2:30 PM.

Notice of 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Growing Chefs Society: Sunday, February 25th, 2024 from 1-2:30 PM. Stay tuned for more exciting and tasty updates!

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Year In Review 2023

Each year brings new opportunities to grow and unique challenges to face.

2023 was a big year for Growing Chefs as we expanded our programs, team, and hosted our largest annual gala, From Farms to Forks, to date!

🥕 WINTER 🥕

Volunteers leading edible education lesson for the Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program.

1) Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program: Together we explored the ins and outs of growing, cooking, and local food systems. Kids created and tasted salads and stir-frys from garden grown veggies, expressed how food makes them feel, and connected to nature and their community.

• We reached 22 classrooms and over 600 students across B.C.

• Adopt-A-Classroom: Our donors supported 6 classrooms in receiving edible education programming.

2) LunchLAB: We mentored and served students accessible, nourishing, and culturally-relevant school lunches at Lord Roberts Elementary and Total Education Secondary School.

• The Vancouver School Board recognized LunchLAB as a model program and recommended its implementation in high need schools.  

3) Annual General Meeting: We reviewed our Annual Report 2021/2022 and said goodbye to Amrit Minhas who retired from the Board of Directors and his Treasurer role.

Organization Updates: We welcomed Merri Schwartz, GC Founder, to support the organization as Interim Co-Executive Director – Communications & Engagement, Jaydeen Williams, went on parental leave.

🍅 Spring/Summer 🍅

LunchLAB service at Lord Roberts Elementary School

1) Family Evening Cooking Classes: Our workshops, developed and led by Chef Jay, created spaces within schools for families to learn kitchen skills, transform low-cost ingredients into nourishing meals, and connect with community.

2) LunchLAB : We introduced our Student Chef Mentorship Program at Lord Roberts Elementary where former LunchLAB participants mentored new cohorts. We planted, harvested, and cooked lots of veggies (greens, squash, potatoes, etc.) from our school gardens at Total Education and Lord Roberts!

• Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots brought LunchLAB pop-ups to John Norquay and Admiral Seymour Elementary Schools.

3) Sodalightful!: We celebrated our champion monthly donors, volunteers, and the end of the school year at our ice cream float themed party!

Organization Updates: We said hello again to Co-Executive Director – Programs & Operations, Amanda Adams, after returning from her parental leave, and goodbye to Merri Schwartz, who returned to the Board of Directors.

Welcome Aboard: Tanisha Hasan – Communications & Events Manager, TJ Conwi, Cheryl Chang, and Tasha Sawyer – LunchLAB (LL) Chefs-in-Residences, Dana Liem – LL Program Coordinator, and Hope Rapp and Luca Schifano – LL Chef Educators.

🥬 Autumn 🥬

Chef Bruno Feldeisen at Growing Chefs’ 14th annual From Farms to Forks Gala

1) LunchLAB: We officially launched LunchLAB at John Norquay Elementary and the program continued at Lord Roberts Elementary and Total Education Secondary.

• CBC released the LunchLAB documentary.

2) From Farms to Forks: Our 14th annual gala was hosted at a new venue, the beautiful Aritzia Head Office, where award-winning chefs crafted local harvest inspired delicacies.

• Thanks to the B.C. food industry, local businesses, donors and more, our community raised $120,000 for food and edible education for B.C. kids and families!

3) Kids Cooking Around The World: Chef Jay cooked up a storm at Trout Lake Community Centre where kids learned kitchen skills and prepared different dishes from fried plantains to bannock.

4) Classroom Program: Our Bowen Island School classroom loved their field trip to the Cheakamus Centre.

5) Giving Tuesday: We celebrated the global day of generosity at our Taco Tuesday Party hosted by our friends at Tacofino.

• #GreenforGrowingChefs: BC Place, Vancouver Convention Centre, Science World, City Hall, and Burrard Street Bridge lit up green for Growing Chefs.

6) Turnip The Heat: We ended the year with our winter fundraising campaign, thank you to our supporters for raising $18,900!

Welcome Aboard: Nicole Woo – Social Media Coordinator.

We're Hiring a LunchLAB Chef-In-Residence!

Growing Chefs is hiring! 

Do you want to support sustainable and just food practices? Build connections between kids and their food? Make local, sustainable food accessible? Engage communities through food?
If yes, then this might be the place for you! 

LunchLAB is a program that is changing the narrative about lunch by empowering students to learn, cook, serve, and share food with their peers and school community. We aim to transform school food into meals that kids and youth want to eat – delicious, nourishing, and culturally-relevant food that brings students together to experience dignity and delight in their interaction with food. 

We’re looking for someone who loves to collaborate, has experience putting out large volumes of food, enjoys working with kids, is creative and imaginative in the kitchen, and has a passion for nourishing food and supporting food literacy. 

LunchLAB Chef-In-Residence Cheryl mentoring student chefs at Lord Roberts Elementary School.

Salary: $42,952 Annually (based on 28 hours/week)

Benefits: Health and dental plan (after 3 months employed); three weeks paid vacation (prorated to a 28 hour work week) + paid one-week summer shutdown per year + paid two-week winter shutdown per year; 12 paid personal wellness days per year (aka sick days); annual professional development funding; paid volunteer days.

Location: Four days a week onsite in Vancouver LunchLAB schools (exact location TBD) 

Anticipated Start Date: Immediately, Feb 2024 (flexible for the next superstar LunchLAB chef)

Position Summary: 

Your role will be mentor, educator, and chef. Each week, you’ll work with youth to teach them new skills, helping them understand the art and science of cooking and nutrition as well as the joy and celebration of connection to nourishing food.  

Through day-to-day kitchen operations, meal planning, preparation, and service, the Chef-In-Residence together with our Chef Educators deliver engaging, non-stigmatizing, nourishing, and culturally-relevant meals that kids want to eat while providing embedded food literacy education and mentorship.  

LunchLab Chef-In-Residences are responsible for the day-to-day kitchen operations including meal planning, preparation, and service at their assigned LunchLAB location(s). 

Responsibilities include:

Supports the co-executive directors to train chef teams.

• Fosters positive work environment for staff and volunteers

• Leads culinary and kitchen operations aspects of training process

• Identifies knowledge and skills gaps on chef teams and develops training accordingly

Meal Prep and Service

• Manages meal service for designated number of students at assigned LunchLAB school

• Develops engaging, nourishing, and culturally-relevant menus for students

• Collaborates to build supplier and vendor relationships that align with LunchLAB and Growing Chefs mission and policies

• Manages supplier and vendor deliveries

• Collaborates with admin team to manage budgets, feedback, processes, and systems

• Collaborates with Chef Educator and admin teams to develop and implement weekly food literacy skills curriculum into meal prep for student chefs

Manage School Kitchen

• Collaborate to oversee chef team’s function and flow as it relates to kitchen operations

• Designs and oversees program and procedure manuals and documents kitchen procedures

• Supervises day-to-day maintenance and general upkeep of equipment and kitchenwares

• Responsible for the safety and security of all those who participate in our programs (children, families, volunteers, staff) through policy implementation

• Accountable for food procurement and meal service that meets program needs and aligns with Growing Chefs mission and policies

• Ensures day-to-day operations have proper food storage and transport that follows FoodSafe procedures

Kitchen Leadership

• Develops and manages a positive work environment for staff, volunteers, and student chefs

• Collaborates to lead and mentor student chefs in the kitchen

• Collaborates to manage usage of school garden produce (if applicable), and supplier orders and deliveries

• Leads stewardship of relationships with teachers, students, volunteers, and general school community

• Collaborates with senior coordinator and school administration/teachers to structure service days in accordance with staggered lunches, shared kitchen space, and involvement of student chef/clean teams

Delivery of Growing Chefs Programs

• Leads delivery of high quality programming in schools and in the community

• Collaborates to deliver SOYL summer program

• Collaborates to deliver Growing Chefs’ Classroom Program

• Recommends improvements to efficiencies, impacts, complexities, and identified gaps in the program delivery model to executive team

• Develops, improves, and leads delivery of edible education lesson plans and learning activities for GC programs

• Leads program delivery alignment with GC mission, values, and policies

• Supports Program Coordinator to oversee volunteer activities on the ground

• Leads and oversees establishment of a positive and engaging program environment for all those participating

Promotion of Growing Chefs

• Promotes program in culinary community and builds network of chef recruits

• Assists with fundraising events and opportunities

Qualifications and Skills:

• Extensive experience in kitchen management with strong supervision and leadership skills. 

• Passionate about food justice, local food and supporting a strong, local food system.

• Comprehensive knowledge of culinary techniques in food production for large-volume kitchen operations. 

• Experience setting up and running your own kitchen. 

• Able to create culturally-relevant and nourishing kid-friendly menus. 

• Would be comfortable working outside of a traditional kitchen setting and willing to improvise and adapt when presented with challenges. 

• You succeed in a mentoring role and love helping kids learn alongside you.

• High level of organization. This is a new program, with the opportunity to transform school food in Vancouver and beyond. You like to keep records and communicate frequently. 

• Comfortable and willing to perform ongoing administrative tasks.

Job Requirements:

• Minimum 3 years experience in a restaurant or catering kitchen or equivalent experience preparing and serving 100+ meals. 

• Must be available and able to work on-site at assigned Vancouver schools

• Must be legally authorised to work in Canada

• Must be able to lift and move up to 30 pounds

• FoodSafe Level 2 Certification (GC able to support acquiring)

• The successful applicant will be required to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check for working with children. Growing Chefs will cover the cost to obtain this check.

Assets but not required:

• Valid BC drivers licence

• Chef Red Seal certification

Growing Chefs operates on the on the land of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), W̱SÁNEĆ, Lək̓ʷəŋən, and Xwsepsum (Songhees and Esquimalt) Nations. As we work towards a world with healthy, just, sustainable food practices, we continue to learn and explore how to uplift Indigenous food and cultural values within our local food systems.

Growing Chefs is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to racialization, ancestry, place of origin, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, physical and/or mental access needs, or financial ability. 

To Apply:

Please submit your resume and the completed questionnaire below to hr@growingchefs.ca. Applications will be reviewed upon reception.

We ask that in lieu of a cover letter, please include in your email with your attached resume the answers to the following three questions in either Microsoft Word document, PDF, or a recorded presentation (visual and/or audio):

1. Tell us about your connection to local food systems and food justice. 

2. What draws you to LunchLAB? 

3. Describe what you love about working with kids in the kitchen.

Next Steps:

You will receive confirmation via email that we have received your application. 

Candidates selected to move on to the interview phase will be contacted to set up a date for an interview no later than two weeks after the selected application was received, ongoing until the position is filled.

In recognition of the labour that goes into preparing for an interview, applicants selected for an interview will receive a $25 honorarium for their time. 

Final candidates will be asked to provide up-to-date references who will be consulted.

We're Hiring a Social Media Coordinator!

Growing Chefs is hiring! 

Do you want to support sustainable and just food practices? Design creative content that captures the connection between kids and their food? If yes, then this might be the place for you! 

We are currently looking for a Social Media Coordinator to join our team. We’re looking for someone who loves to collaborate, has phenomenal communications skills, is a creative thinker and storyteller, is passionate about supporting food justice, and loves to get in on the action, on-site, in real-time capturing the power of connecting communities through food. 

Contract Type: Full-time permanent, 32 hours per week

Salary: $40,501 Annually

Benefits: Health and dental plan (after 3 months employed); three weeks paid vacation + paid one-week summer shutdown per year + paid two-week winter shutdown per year; 12 paid personal wellness days per year (aka sick days); annual professional development funding; paid volunteer days; flexible work hours.

Reports to: Growing Chefs Co-Executive Director, Communications & Engagement

Location: Lower Mainland; hybrid work environment with dog-friendly office but freedom to also work from home (a minimum of two days per week must be in office/on-site at programs). The office location is the SpencerCreo Centre at 610 Main Street, Vancouver. Will require regular travel to various locations throughout the Metro Vancouver region.

Anticipated Start Date: November 2023

Position Summary: 

• Work closely with the Co-Executive Director, Communications & Engagement 

• Collaboratively drive the organization’s social media and content creation 

• Contribute to a vibrant team within a collaborative, care-based, person-centred organization

• Actively collaborate to drive a strategic plan centred around food justice

• Perform other duties as required

  Communications

• Collaborate with the Co-Executive Director, Communications & Engagement, and Communications and Events Manager to execute a creative, engaging, bold, knowledgeable, evolving, playful, justice-centred communications plan

• Stay abreast of communications trends, tools, and social media platforms

• Perform other duties, as needed

  Social Media Coordination

• Collaborate to develop and lead execution of social media strategies to increase engagement, followers, and brand awareness 

• Maintain Growing Chefs’ presence on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc

• Creates and manages social media calendar with leadership to engage all departments

• Act as a bridge between our on the ground programs and the Growing Chefs community by driving story-telling that captures impact and amplifies engagement 

• Monitor and respond to comments, messages, and mentions on Social Media 

• Prepare reports to measure effectiveness of campaigns and support intentional strategic development 

• Perform other duties, as needed

  Content Creation

• Create and curate compelling content, including graphics, photos, videos, and written posts. 

• Create and design marketing and promotional materials, social media campaigns, e-newsletters, event invitations, website updates, and blog posts

• Collaborate with and join program teams on-site to gather stories, testimonials, and images that showcase our impact

• Design and produce visual assets to accompany written content

• Perform other duties, as needed

  Community Engagement:

• Foster and nurture relationships with our online community, partners, and food-related influencers

• Collaborate to develop and lead implementation of online campaigns to promote events, fundraisers, and initiatives. 

• Represent Growing Chefs at community activities in a way that enhances the organization's profile

• Participate in and be present at events and programs 

• Perform other duties, as needed

  Brand Representation

• Ensure all communications and materials align with the Growing Chefs voice, identity, and values

• Maintain a consistent and authentic voice and brand aesthectic across all platforms rooted in a creative, engaging, bold, knowledgeable, evolving, playful, justice-centred communications plan 

• Perform other duties, as needed

Qualifications & Skills:

• Creative, bold, playful, and justice-oriented communicator 

• Confident and creative storyteller; thrives communicating with new people and finding ways to capture experiences 

• Ability to form and nurture new relationships, strong interpersonal skills, a collaborative working style

• Supportive and dedicated collaborator

• Compelling writer and verbal communicator

• Highly organized with the ability to prioritise and work on multiple tasks at one time 

• Strong attention to detail

• Excellent computer skills, including proficiency with:

• G-Suite (Google Drive, Sheets, Docs, Calendar, Gmail, etc.)

• Website building platforms (we use Squarespace)

• Email marketing tools and applications (we use Mailchimp)

• Internal communication tools (we use Slack)

• Comfortable using graphic design tools (we use Canva)

• Demonstrated ability to work with a team as well as independently

Additional skills an asset but not required:

• Experience with graphic design, video creation, photography  

• Experience working in the nonprofit and/or philanthropy sector

Job Requirements:

• Availability for occasional weekends and evening events. 

• Must be available and able to work two days per week in the Growing Chefs office/visit our program sites in Vancouver

• Must be legally authorized to work in Canada

• Must be able to lift and move up to 30 pounds

• The successful applicant will be required to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check for working with children. Growing Chefs will cover the cost to obtain this check.

Growing Chefs operates on the on the land of the Coast Salish peoples, including the

Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm

(Musqueam), W̱SÁNEĆ, Lək̓ʷəŋən, and Xwsepsum (Songhees and Esquimalt) Nations. As we

work towards a world with healthy, just, sustainable food practices, we continue to learn

and explore how to uplift Indigenous food and cultural values within our local food

systems.

Growing Chefs is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to racialization, ancestry, place of origin, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, physical and/or mental access needs, or financial ability. 

To Apply:

Please submit your resume and the completed questionnaire below to hr@growingchefs.ca. We encourage submission of previous creative work/portfolios (OPTIONAL). 

Review of applications will begin on a rolling basis with interviews beginning November 6th 2023. 

We ask that in lieu of a cover letter, please include in your email with your attached resume the answers to the following three questions in 450 words or less:

1. Tell us about your connection to food systems and food justice. 

2. What draws you to Growing Chefs? 

3. Describe your approach to story-telling and/or bringing creativity to communications. 

Next Steps:

You will receive confirmation via email that we have received your application. 

Candidates selected to move on to the interview phase will be contacted to set up a date for an interview no later than two weeks upon receipt of the respective application.

In recognition of the labour that goes into preparing for an interview, applicants selected for an interview will receive a $25 honorarium for their time. 

Final candidates may be asked to prepare a small work project for review by the hiring committee. A $25 honorarium will be offered for the work project.

Final candidates will be asked to provide up-to-date references who will be consulted.

We're hiring a Chef-in-Residence for LunchLAB!

Growing Chefs is hiring! 

Do you want to support sustainable and just food practices? Build connections between kids and their food? Make local, sustainable food accessible? Engage communities through food? If yes, then this might be the place for you! 

LunchLAB is a program that is  changing the narrative about lunch by empowering students to learn, cook, serve, and share food with their peers and school community. We aim to transform school food into meals that kids and youth want to eat – delicious, nourishing, and culturally-relevant food that brings students together to experience dignity and delight in their interaction with food. 

We’re looking for someone who loves to collaborate, has experience putting out large volumes of food, enjoys working with kids, is creative and imaginative in the kitchen, and has a passion for nourishing food and supporting food literacy. 

Salary: $42,952 Annually (based on 28 hours/week)

Benefits: Health and dental plan (after 3 months employed); three weeks paid vacation (prorated to a 28 hour work week) + paid one-week summer shutdown per year + paid two-week winter shutdown per year; 12 paid personal wellness days per year (aka sick days); annual professional development funding; paid volunteer days.

Location: Four days a week onsite in Vancouver LunchLAB schools (exact location TBD) 

Anticipated Start Date: September 4, 2023 (flexible for the next superstar LunchLAB chef)

Position Summary: 

Your role will be mentor, educator, and chef. Each week, you’ll work with youth to teach them new skills, helping them understand the art and science of cooking and nutrition as well as the joy and celebration of connection to nourishing food.  

Through day-to-day kitchen operations, meal planning, preparation, and service, the Chef-In-Residence together with our Chef Educators deliver engaging, non-stigmatizing, nourishing, and culturally-relevant meals that kids want to eat while providing embedded food literacy education and mentorship.  

LunchLab Chef-In-Residence is responsible for the day-to-day kitchen operations including meal planning, preparation, and service at their assigned LunchLAB location(s). 

Responsibilities include:

Kitchen Operations

• Manages and is responsible for ensuring meal service for designated number of students (up to 200) at assigned LunchLAB school

• Develops engaging, nourishing, and culturally-relevant menus for students

• Collaborates with Executive Chef to design and oversees site-specific program and kitchen procedure manuals 

• Oversees day-to-day maintenance and general upkeep of equipment and kitchenwares

• Oversees day-to-day sanitation practices and ensures FoodSafe procedures are followed at all times

• Collaborates with Executive Chef to identify and order ingredients that align with program goals

• Manages supplier and vendor deliveries with Executive Chef and school

• Recommends improvements to efficiencies, impacts, complexities, and identified gaps in kitchen operations to executive team

Program Delivery

• Collaborates with Chef Educator and Growing Chefs program teams to implement weekly food literacy skills curriculum into meal prep for student chefs

• Collaborates with Chef Educator and Executive Chef to ensure high quality program delivery and impact

• Oversees the safety and security of all those who participate in our programs (children, families, volunteers, staff) through policy implementation

• Recommends improvements to efficiencies, impacts, complexities, and identified gaps in food literacy programming structure and delivery as it relates to kitchen operations to executive team

People and Culture 

• Creates and maintains a positive work environment for staff, volunteers, and student chefs

• Leads chef team to be mentors for student chefs in the kitchen

• Collaborates to steward positive and generative relationships with teachers, students, volunteers, and general school community

Qualifications and Skills:

• Extensive experience in kitchen management with strong supervision and leadership skills. 

• Passionate about food justice, local food and supporting a strong, local food system.

• Comprehensive knowledge of culinary techniques in food production for large-volume kitchen operations. 

• Experience setting up and running your own kitchen. 

• Able to create culturally-relevant and nourishing kid-friendly menus. 

• Would be comfortable working outside of a traditional kitchen setting and willing to improvise and adapt when presented with challenges. 

• You succeed in a mentoring role and love helping kids learn alongside you.

• High level of organization. This is a new program, with the opportunity to transform school food in Vancouver and beyond. You like to keep records and communicate frequently. 

• Comfortable and willing to perform ongoing administrative tasks.

Job Requirements:

• Minimum 3 years experience in a restaurant or catering kitchen or equivalent experience preparing and serving 100+ meals. 

• Must be available and able to work on-site at assigned Vancouver school(s) 

• Must be legally authorised to work in Canada

• Must be able to lift and move up to 30 pounds

• FoodSafe Level 2 Certification (GC able to support acquiring)

• The successful applicant will be required to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check for working with children. Growing Chefs will cover the cost to obtain this check.

Assets but not required:

• Valid BC drivers licence

• Chef Red Seal certification

Growing Chefs operates on the on the land of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), W̱SÁNEĆ, Lək̓ʷəŋən, and Xwsepsum (Songhees and Esquimalt) Nations. As we work towards a world with healthy, just, sustainable food practices, we continue to learn and explore how to uplift Indigenous food and cultural values within our local food systems.

Growing Chefs is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to racialization, ancestry, place of origin, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, physical and/or mental access needs, or financial ability. 

To Apply:

Please submit your resume and the completed questionnaire below to hr@growingchefs.ca. Review of applications and interviews will begin on a rolling basis August 21st, 2023. 

We ask that in lieu of a cover letter, please include in your email with your attached resume the answers to the following three questions in one of the following formats:

• Microsoft Word document 

• PDF 

• Recorded presentation (visual and/or audio)

1. Tell us about your connection to local food systems and food justice. 

2. What draws you to LunchLAB? 

3. Describe what you love about working with kids in the kitchen.

Next Steps:

You will receive confirmation via email that we have received your application. 

Candidates selected to move on to the interview phase will be contacted to set up a date for an interview no later than two weeks after the selected application was received, ongoing until the position is filled.

In recognition of the labour that goes into preparing for an interview, applicants selected for an interview will receive a $25 honorarium for their time. 

Final candidates will be asked to provide up-to-date references who will be consulted.

Save the Date! From Farms to Forks Returns

On October 1st, 2023, we will hold our 14th annual From Farms to Forks fundraising event. We are so excited to once again gather in person to celebrate the treasures and talent of our local food and culinary communities. A kitchen party at its best — From Farms to Forks brings together local chefs, growers, and makers to curate an evening of tasting plates and pairings to support our mission of connecting chefs, kids, and communities to foster systemic change towards healthy, sustainable, and just food practices.

For the first time since 2019, we will be returning to the Harvest Kitchen Party format, where guests can wander between chef stations to taste a delicious assortment of plates and wine pairings while interacting with the growers, chefs, and other guests. The evening will also feature a silent auction of items and experiences donated by local businesses and individuals.

Our From Farms to Forks raffle is back with incredible prizes! Raffle tickets will be available to the general public, so you can still join in on all the fun if you are unable to attend the event. All proceeds from raffle sales, ticket purchases, and silent auction bids will support our food literacy programs.

Tickets to the gala fundraiser and the raffle will be available in August. Mark your calendars!

Thank You To Our Adopt-A-Classroom Supporters!

Each year, generous families and businesses donate to adopt a Growing Chefs classroom. These funds support the edible education experience for up to 25 B.C. kids through our Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program.

Photo by Trudy Tran, T-Studio Marketing

Thank you to our Spring 2023 Adopt-A-Classroom supporters! 

Barbara Mackenzie (Vancouver classroom)

Connor, Clark & Lunn (Burnaby classroom)

Mary and Gordon Christopher Foundation (Vancouver classroom)

Les Dames D'Escoffier (Vancouver classroom)

Porte Communities (Vancouver classroom)

Port Moody Foundation (Port Moody classroom)

Adopting a classroom has many benefits, including receiving hand-made cards from the students, updates about the program in your classroom, and an invitation to watch the program in action. Teri from the Mary and Gordon Christopher Foundation recently visited a classroom and had this to say about the experience:

“Thank you for the fun experience this morning! My mom and I loved being with the kids! Growing Chefs is doing great work in classrooms.”

Please contact Afton Bell for more information on how you can adopt a classroom for fall 2023 or spring 2024! 

Chef Ted Anderson's Spring Leek Risotto

We are back with another delicious spring recipe! This one from the kitchen of our Board Chair and Concept Development Chef at Joey Restaurants, Ted Anderson.  Chef Ted uses flavour-packed ingredients to create a rich, earthy risotto that’s a breeze to make. Click here to download a PDF of the recipe, or scroll down to view.

Leeks are a sweet and mild member of the allium family, cousin to onions and garlic. An easy-growing frost tolerant crop, leeks can be harvested summer through winter and make a delightful addition to recipes year-round. Hot tip—leeks are rich in Vitamins B6 and K, as well as iron, manganese, dietary fibre, and folate. While they are often used in soups, leeks are hearty enough to withstand roasting, baking, frying and sauteing.

In this recipe, Chef Ted creates a flavourful puree from leeks and parsley that is added to a rich risotto near the end of the cooking process. Both the blanching of the greens in the early stages and the late addition of the puree to the risotto help the dish maintain a stunning shade of light green. Serve with seared scallops, or top with a crisp julienne of green apple for a vegetarian version.

Have you made this recipe? Tag us in your social media posts so we can see your creations!