Vancouver Island has a diverse and exceptional food culture, drawn from both land and ocean. With this unique cookbook, try a vast array of favourite recipes from the Island’s innovative chefs. All members of the Island Chefs’ Collaborative, these professional chefs are dedicated to supporting local agriculture and the farmers, fishers, and foragers who collectively harvest the bounty of Vancouver Island. Ranging greatly in style and complexity, the recipes allow for both the amateur cook and the seasoned chef to find inspiration.

With an outstanding list of contributors, On the Flavour Trail brings together the best of Vancouver Island’s culinary creativity, combined with the finest ingredients the island has to offer.

Founded in 1999, the Island Chefs’ Collaborative (ICC) is a community-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and preserving sustainable local food and agriculture on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Member chefs purchase produce directly from local farms, which amount to thousands of dollars in revenue each year for farmers. The organization founded the annual Island Chefs’ Food Fest, and has partnered with other community groups, like LifeCycles’ Fruit Tree Project, FarmFolk CityFolk and VanCity.

Island Chefs' Collaborative's profile page

Christabel Padmore is the co-owner, with her husband, chef Patrick Simpson, and chef of Little Piggy Catering. A Red Seal chef, Christabel is currently working toward the Certified Chef de Cuisine credential. Prior to launching Little Piggy Catering in 2004, Christabel was a culinary vocational trainer with the Vancouver Island Health Authority. She is an active member of the Island Chef’s Collaborative.

Christabel Padmore's profile page