Cheftimony Episode 068 - A Knife to the Tart
Today, I sit down with Chef Hilary Prince and Chef Jack Chen in my hometown of Gibsons, BC. These two are partners in life and in business and in a few short years they have made a meaningful impact on food culture on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast.
Very recently, Hilary and Jack closed their wonderful restaurant Brassica, and our conversation covers everything from the business realities of running a restaurant to why it is so important to know (and to visit!) where your food comes from. The two chefs will introduce you to some of our food producers on the Coast – Hannah and Mel from Grounded Acres, Raquel from Hough Heritage Farm, Sarah from Walker Creek, and Chris and Lee-Ann from Equa Ocean Farms.
On the drinks side of the menu, we talk about why natural wine distributors including Brian and Ramona from Racine Wine Imports and Matt from Sedimentary Wine played such a big role in the Brassica offerings.
You will also hear these chefs’ thoughts on the importance of connection generally, staff and community at the forefront. We dive into some of the challenges facing every restaurant, including what to me is a very strange valuation of the skill required to produce exceptional food. Hilary offers some great insight into exactly what professional cooking is, which leads to tough questions about why we as a society don’t value it more, at least financially.
But in amongst the heavier topics, there’s a lot of fun and deliciousness too! From ganache to kohlrabi to one amazing story from Jack’s early days that literally involves… A Knife to the Tart.
Join Hilary, Jack and me for Episode 068!