When long-time chef Nicholas Waters first started in 2013, he never expected it to take off.
含羞草研究社淭o be honest, I thought I含羞草研究社檇 be doing one function a weekend,含羞草研究社� he says with a laugh. 含羞草研究社淚 didn含羞草研究社檛 think anything of it. Then all of a sudden, it turned into an animal.含羞草研究社�
Toque grew from just five full-timers three years ago to a staff almost 30 strong today, and the wealth of talent in Nick含羞草研究社檚 kitchen is enviable.
含羞草研究社淲e run with 10 to 12 executive chefs full time in the kitchen,含羞草研究社� he says. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 one of the best teams I含羞草研究社檝e ever worked with.含羞草研究社�
About the same time Toque took off, Nick relocated to Metchosin, and the locale has been ideal both personally and professionally.
含羞草研究社淭he bigger we含羞草研究社檝e gotten, the more local we含羞草研究社檝e become,含羞草研究社� he says.
Toque is booked at least a year in advance, so Nick and his team have been able to approach local farmers well ahead of season to plan out orders, translating to reliable income for the small agriculture sector, as well as premium ingredients.
And though Nick says he doesn含羞草研究社檛 want to grow too big too fast, there are definitely some new and exciting directions coming down the pipe.
含羞草研究社淪tay tuned!含羞草研究社�
The 7 Sins
Envy:
Whose shoes would you like to walk in?
I am on my own journey in life and wouldn含羞草研究社檛 change a thing, good or bad, but I would love to be Michel Bras in Normandy, France for a day. He has been my favourite chef in the world since I was 18! His book is still better than most out there and it含羞草研究社檚 almost 20 years old.
Gluttony:
What is the food you could eat over and over again?
That is definitely a hard one, but I would say gyoza. No matter whether I含羞草研究社檓 at a pub, home or a high-end restaurant, 10 out of 10 times I will order it if it含羞草研究社檚 on the menu.
Greed:
You含羞草研究社檙e given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly. What would you spend it on?
I would travel all through Europe and eat and drink and just eat and drink until it was gone. Spain, Portugal, France, Italy 含羞草研究社� let含羞草研究社檚 face it, the money would be gone by then!
wrath:
Pet Peeves?
Everything, almost 含羞草研究社� but the freezers and coolers being a mess has to be the one that makes me think I含羞草研究社檓 going to have a heart attack.
sloth:
Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?
Spain.
Pride:
What is the one thing you含羞草研究社檙e secretly proud of?
It won含羞草研究社檛 be a secret anymore if I say this, but it would be the team 含羞草研究社� chefs, dishwashers, operations, planners, on-site service staff, rentals and anyone else I含羞草研究社檓 missing 含羞草研究社� and the culture we含羞草研究社檝e been able to create at Toque. I am grateful every day that I get to work alongside a very, very talented group. I actually like working with them all and don含羞草研究社檛 have a bad thing to say. They含羞草研究社檝e all become my family.
Lust:
What makes your heart beat faster?
Being on-site when shit hits the fan 含羞草研究社� like a barbecue falls off the top and an oven doesn含羞草研究社檛 work, etc. That shit turns me on when you come out of it unscathed and everything went perfectly, except your soul becomes a little darker!
I love the unknown and being able to make something out of nothing. The best was four or five years ago when the guys got me an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas. They said, 含羞草研究社淲ell, it含羞草研究社檚 on. Let含羞草研究社檚 see what you can do with this!含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
