BCRHOF Finalist: Duncan Holmes
December 21, 2008
Over the coming weeks Scout will publish the names and short biographies of those restaurant community icons who are finalists for the 2009 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame induction. This is the one and only Duncan Holmes, if not the funniest food writer I’ve met since my career began (three minutes ago) then definitely the most whipsmart of the bunch. He’s shortlisted in the Friends of the Industry category:
Duncan Holmes was born in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, and left it for North America before knowing that it would gain fame as one of the world’s great producers of fine food and equally-spectacular wine. Looking to further a journalism career that had begun at Rupert Murdoch’s News in Adelaide, Duncan arrived in Vancouver at the age of nineteen, and for the next eight years, his career home was with The Canadian Press, thence the Vancouver Sun, which hired him away to serve as copy editor and business writer. From the Sun, he went to the dark side of public relations, before being hired by Keg Restaurants as Vice President, Communications in the glory years of the seventies and early eighties. His copy line “See You Tonight,” has remained entrenched for more than thirty years as a fixture in Keg advertising. The Keg reinforced Duncan’s lifelong love of good food, and his passion for almost all things edible, which, in the intervening years, has shown in his writing for the best of North America’s magazines. He has written books, speeches, jokes—anything that anyone pays him to write. He is just as happy in front of a microphone as he is at his keyboards—computer or piano. For many years, Duncan has been a contributor to BC Restaurant News and other food magazines of the region, a consultant to some of the province’s best restaurants, and a volunteer for the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame. He continues to write, cook and serve the industry he loves in any way he can.
——————————–
disclosure: I am honoured to sit on the Voting Committee with 80 people who are far more qualified than me, including 27 past Hall of Fame Inductees.
All the nominees and finalists for the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame are truly deserving – a group of hospitality industry professionals that bring honour to our industry. However, Duncan Holmes brings a special tribute to the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame – the historian, the memories, actually the voice. Each year Duncan has either emceed or donated his time to honour the inductees. His tribute to James Barber in 2008 brought 500 plus people to their feet, brought tears to their eyes, a smile to their lips, and a lasting laughter to their hearts. Congratulations Duncan on your nomination.
Andrew Morrison’s well-penned tribute to Duncan Holmes didn’t mention Dunc’s stint at the Adelaide Advertiser where we were copy boys together and began a lifelong friendship in which communication continues almost daily via email. I think his interest in food began at a Caltex roadhouse in Adelaide’s suburbs – and about the only place open for a feed after we quit work at 2 a.m. The big item was poached eggs with plenty of pepper and lashings of toast with real butter. Hungry growing boys need that sort of food. World-renowned political cartoonists Pat Oliphant was our special mate and, probably because he was vegetarian, we all had eggs, rather than steak.
Duncan is one very special person who represent all that is good in the Hospitality industry in BC . His involvement from with the start with the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame from helping develop a transparent nomination and voting process combined with his incredible writing and voice interviews with inductees plus his MC involvement at the awards ceremony has lead to the success and respect the Hall of fame has developed . Congratulations uncle Dunc on your nomination
Brian, just to clarify…I didn’t write the tribute. That was someone at the BCRHOF.
Andrew – Someone got it right and your name I’m sure gave it gravitas. Keep up the good work.
cheers
Brian