There is no better way to kickstart summer than heading over to Vancouver Island to check out the second annual Feast! Tofino, a 16 day series of gastronomic events beginning May 18th that culminates in the always magical Tofino Food and Wine Festival on the weekend of June 1-2.
It’s unlike any other food fest that we’ve ever been to. For half a month, the two tiny towns see their combined populations (under 5,000) swell with food and drink lovers from far afield who come to enjoy nightly collaborations between acclaimed local and regional guest chefs, restaurants, fishermen, foragers, and farmers, all of whom have come together to jointly celebrate the area’s wondrous abundance of seafood and to showcase their sustainable “boat-to-table” style of cooking.
We were on hand for the Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild’s launch fundraiser a couple of years ago, and it was wonderful to witness all the local chefs coming together to start working toward the broad collaboration that we’ll get to enjoy next month. Take a look at some of the things we saw back then. They’ve come a long way since…
———————————————————————————————————–
Tourism Tofino and the Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild (TUCG) have put together a mighty line-up of culinary events this time around. Many of our favourite Vancouver restaurants are going to be well represented as they pair up with local establishments for a series of special suppers. To wit, Joel Watanabe of Bao Bei will be there, as will Nico Schuermans of Chambar, Justin and Lea Ault of Hapa Izakaya, Lucais Syme of La Quercia, and Tom Lee of Edible at the Market. Combine their artistry with the skills and local knowledge of the TUCG’s chefs, and you have a recipe for daily deliciousness. We hope to see many Scout readers there!
Feast! Tofino 2012 highlights
- “Stay and Dine” specials and packages from participating accommodation, activity and tour providers
- $29, $39 and $49 “Dine About” set price menus
- Salmon Dock Festival (May 19)
- Spot Prawn Dock Festival (May 26)
- Restaurant events featuring acclaimed local and guest chefs
- Educational “on the water” tours
- Sustainable seafood processing and preparation demonstrations
Regional guest chefs include:
- Justin and Lea Ault, Hapa Izakaya, Vancouver, BC
- Kunal Ghose, Red Fish Blue Fish, Victoria, BC
- Tom Lee, Edible at the Market, Vancouver, BC
- JC Poirier, Pourhouse and Pizzeria Farina, Vancouver, BC
- Nico Schuermans, Chambar and Café Medina, Vancouver, BC
- Andrew Springett, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, AB
- Lucais Syme, La Quercia, Vancouver, BC
- Joel Watanabe, Bao Bei, Vancouver, BC
A complete list of Feast! Tofino events, chefs and special accommodation, dining and activity offers can be found at www.FeastTofino.com.
————————————————————————————————————————
About Tourism Tofino
Tourism Tofino is a destination marketing organization promoting Tofino’s extensive destination attributes, local events and hospitality industry businesses. It also partners with other tourism organizations to create awareness of regional tourism initiatives for visitors worldwide.
About the Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild (TUCG)
The TUCG‘s mission is to work closely with each other and the region’s farmers, fishermen and foragers to provide unique food experiences that rely on sustainable farm/boat-to-table practices and the freshest local ingredients prepared with integrity and passion.
————————————————————————–
Visiting FEAST! Tofino 2012…
Get the Tofino App on your Smart-Phone.
A complete Travel Guide to Tofino & Ucluelet.
Feast Specials, Events, Package Deals, Beaches, Trails and much more…
Check out our Website or Download FREE from the App Store and Android Market.