Culinary Team BC will be serving a world-class meal at North Island College next month as they prepare for the 2020 IKA World Culinary Olympics in Germany.
The fundraiser dinner, at $100 a ticket, will be held at NIC’s new teaching kitchen in the Bistro.
“We’re so excited to be able to host the team in our new teaching kitchen,” said NIC Chef Xavier Bauby. “Our new space is truly world-class and it’s an honour to be chosen as one of the places the team will use as a practice space before heading to Germany.”
Culinary Team BC features five members, including Tina Tang, who began her Red Seal training at the Campbell River campus and is now a pastry chef at Predator Ridge Resort in Vernon. Tang has been a member of Team BC since 2018, the same year the Globe and Mail featured her and her signature Okanagan peach cheesecake recipe in a piece about Canada’s next star chefs.
“I’m so excited to be coming back to NIC’s Campbell River campus for this event and to be able to see and work in the new teaching kitchen and Bistro,” she said.
The team also includes Aaron Hoffman, Kurt Waddington, Natasha Norton and Heejo Jung.
The IKA World Culinary Olympics only happens once every four years, but sees thousands of chefs from across the world compete.
While the North Island College event is a fundraiser, the dinner and wine pairing is also practice for the team ahead of the big event next year and is being prepared to competition standards. No changes or substitutions will be possible.
“It takes incredible skill and attention to detail to be able to compete at this level,” said Bauby. “I’m excited our current students will get to observe these chefs in action.”
The event is being held with the support of the North Vancouver Island Chefs Association.
“We really appreciated partnering with NIC on the Flavour and Taste fundraising events in the past and are pleased to be working with them again to bring this unique culinary event to Campbell River,” said Chef Lesley Stav, president of the North Vancouver Island Chefs Association.
The team has a handful more of practices before they will compete in mid-February. The proceeds from the fundraising events will be put towards the team’s expenses for the Culinary Olympics.
The fundraising dinner is set for Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. at NIC’s The Bistro. Tickets can be purchased online here.
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