Yup, it’s May already! Daylight hours are becoming discernibly longer – it will be summer before you know it! And that means it’s time to begin planning your travel adventures STAT. As firm believers that the richest experience of any place comes through getting to know its food, when mapping out our travel plans we make it a priority to connect with the farmers, fishers, foragers and chefs in a region – even when those plans are right in our own backyard. Which is why, time and again, we look forward to heading to the Sunshine Coast for Shady Hazel Farm’s Supper Club series.

Whereas last year the Gibsons farm (run by proprietors Ian and Sara Rodgers) welcomed three Vancouver Chefs to participate, this summer’s series has grown to include five dinners with as many local talents taking the helm in the kitchen. As usual, all of the participating Chefs will be using Shady Hazel Farm and its ingredients – a variety of vegetables, as well as ethically raised heritage breed lamb and Kune Kune pigs – as their inspiration.

“Ian and I are food lovers first and foremost. We live to dine, our travel is largely motivated by food and we love to geek out on restaurants, cookbooks and food culture. We also love farming. Each season is a new opportunity to grow something delicious and we take pride in cultivating the best possible ingredients we can. Supper Club is where these two passions meet. It is a culmination of our hard work, our testament to quality and our absolute love of cuisine…We are proud of what we do and we can’t wait to share that with everyone at the table this summer.”

Though menu details will remain a mystery until the Chefs are able to see what is ready to make it from soil to plate, we have little doubt that each meal will be at least as great as the sum of its lovingly nurtured parts, contributing to a culinary experience that justifies both the ticket price and travel time.

Although tickets don’t go on sale until 10am on June 1st, 2024, precedent tells us that once they do, they’ll fly! Hence, we’re sharing what we know well in advance, so you can set a reminder, lock in your accommodations/reservations, and begin planning your coastal escape as soon as possible. Follow the links below for more details about each participating chef:

• July 20th: Lucais Syme (Autostrada)
  July 27th: Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson (Published on Main)
  August 17th: Chef J-C Poirier (St. Lawrence)
  August 31st: Chef Matthew Finn (Stage Wine Bar, Victoria)
  September 7th: Chef Phil Scarfone (Savio Volpe)

To get adequately stoked for summertime, take a peek through our gallery of photos from previous Supper Club events below. We also recommend saving this link to tickets so you’re ready to lock yours in the second they drop. See you on the Farm!

Shady Hazel Farm

Region: Sunshine Coast

805 Payne Rd., Gibsons

WEBSITE