Edible Vancouver Island July/August 2024

ISLAND TREASURE

The TOFINO UCLUELET CULINARY GUILD champions the importance of hyperlocal food systems on the edge of the Island WORDS CAMILLA SAMPSON T ofino draws enthusiastic visitors not just for its wild stretches of sand, but also for its outstanding dining experiences that celebrate hyperlocal ingredients dictated by the season. Yet, you might wonder how these establishments thrive in such a remote location. Of course, there are the holiday patrons, but what about the supply chain for such impeccable produce? The Tofino Ucluelet Culinary Guild (TUCG) is one of the major players underpinning the entire coastal culinary operation–a nonprofit founded in 2010 by six local chefs eager to ensure their supply chain was reliable, efficient, affordable and full of the most vibrant ingredients they could source within B.C. They approached Bobby Lax, now executive director of TUCG (although more frequently and fittingly known as the community outreach coordinator), to bring TUCG to life. A middleman of sorts, TUCG speaks with small farms and other food producers every Friday, lists everything on the TUCG website for ordering (chefs on Mondays, homes on weekends), and then readies it for collection on the coast. More than simply part of the distribution chain, the organization provides farms that are too small, too quality-driven or lack the consistency required for the typical commodity market, with a reliable, quality-driven market. “These producers win on flavour, the way they care for their land and the relationships they foster,” shares Lax. “It’s the curved cucumbers, the nicks and funny-looking veg, those are the kinds of things we try to work with farmers on so that they can sell more of

Every December, as farmers leaf through their seed catalogues, the TUCG team lets them know what they would ideally like more and less of in the coming year.

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