The Goods from Pepino’s Spaghetti House / Caffè La Tana

Vancouver, BC | If you ask Jeremy Hayton, the new Head Chef of Pepino’s and La Tana, why he cooks, he’ll say that he’s always been fascinated by the fact that food is the one necessity that can be elevated to a luxury. You can’t do much with water or oxygen, but a tomato is another story: it can be transformed from a humble ingredient into a canvas for indulgence (or, as he puts it, “you could just keep it simple and eat the tomato”).

Growing up in Stratford, Ontario, Jeremy spent countless hours in the kitchen with his family, where food was both a daily ritual and the centerpiece of every celebration. Spaghetti and meatballs – made on Sundays and eaten all week long – was a staple, and to this day it’s his desert-island comfort dish. Those early experiences, which gave him a deep appreciation for the way food anchors memory and meaning, are what first sparked the desire to facilitate that same sense of connection for others.

After a stint in Toronto, Jeremy’s path led him west; he and his wife had planned to spend a year in the UK, but when the pandemic upended those plans in 2020, they drove to Vancouver instead. What began as a temporary move quickly became permanent as the mountains, ocean, and abundance of local seafood and produce offered both inspiration and a new sense of home. The change of scenery – and the access to far more than “three good eating fish” – rekindled his excitement for hospitality and sharpened his focus on his craft.

Today, Jeremy brings that well-rounded perspective to two very different but complementary kitchens. At Pepino’s, he leans into the nostalgia of red-sauce classics, while at La Tana he plays with artistry and precision in dishes like mozzarella in carrozza. A whole-animal butchery enthusiast with a passion for building (and playing) guitars, Jeremy dreams of one day opening a restaurant of his own – one that proudly serves, in his words, “weird shit to weird people.”