As one of the people who bought his tickets in advance, Ray was entered—and won!—the Yew Prize Draw for You. This prize package is valued at over $200 and includes:

• $150 gift card redeemable at Yew restaurant + bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver
• Bottle of champagne upon your arrival at Yew
• Extra courses during your Yew dining experience from the Chef
• Yew gift bags of homemade preserves and treats for you to take home

Thank you to Ray and all of you that bought your tickets in advance!

This article contains important information on how to quickly check into the Spot Prawn Boil event and enjoy the rest that the Spot Prawn Festival has to offer.

TIP #1: ARRIVE EARLY

All 900 of our advance tickets are now sold out. Thanks to everyone for their support!

The meal rush peaked last year between noon and 1pm. Arriving early means you taste your spot prawns sooner, and will also let you to get to the dock in good time to buy live spot prawns from Organic Ocean.

The boat comes in at around noon.

If you missed getting an advance ticket, come early—as soon as we open at 11am or perhaps sooner than that. We’ll have ~200 tickets  at the door. Door tickets are cash-only and sales begin at 11am. Once we sell out of door tickets, we’ll post up a sign and announce it online. From that point on, only ticketholders have access to the Spot Prawn Boil.

TIP #1: PRINT YOUR TICKETS

When you arrive at the festival grounds, look for the entrance booth on the left side of the Wharf. Bring us your printed, paper ticket and we will stamp your hand and direct you to your plate of delicious spot prawns plus fixings.

There is a mobile app available from Eventbrite. If you plan to show your e-ticket using this app or by other electronic means, please note that it will take longer to process your check-in this way.

TIP #2: DRINKING BEER OR WINE? SHOW YOUR PHOTO ID WITH YOUR TICKET

Your hand stamp also grants you access into the drink tent that includes beer and wine samples. Our servers will only pour alcoholic beverages for those with the hand stamp reserved for persons aged 19+.

Have your photo ID ready when you hand in your tickets and we will quickly be able to stamp your hand accordingly.

TIP #3: PICK UP YOUR SOUVENIRS AND NEW MEMBER GOODIES

If you’ve bought a Souvenir Package or New Member Combo, your goodies will be ready for pick-up at the entrance booth when you show your ticket.

If you’d like to take home more souvenirs, visit our cash-only merchandise booth by the entrance. We’ll have:

• Festival T-shirts – $20 ($15 for youth)
• Festival tote bag – $10
• Prawn Star hats, black – $15
• Vancouver Cooks 2 cookbook – $15

Grab a tote to hold your live prawns from the dock and get your cookbook autographed on-site by your favourite chefs.

TIP #5: LINGER FOR THE FREE ACTIVITIES

Once you’ve eaten and/or purchased your live prawns, please stick around for the other free activities that are part of the Spot Prawn Festival:

• 6 chefs on stage every 30 minutes from 11am – 3pm, each with a different spot prawn cooking demo
• Cookbook signings from some of Vancouver’s top chefs
• Kids’ area brought to you by Ocean Wise
• live music featuring 4U and Matthew Presidente

TIP #6: WIN A PRIZE

We will have volunteers mingling with the crowd selling raffle tickets for a special Festival prize: one night’s stay at the historic Rosewood Hotel Georgia plus a seasonal tasting menu for two at Hawksworth Restaurant.

Raffle tickets are $2 for one, $5 for three, and $10 for an arms’ length pull. Have your cash on hand if you want a chance to win!

If you got your tickets in advance, you were also entered to win the Yew Prize for You. Worth over $200+, this prize pack features a $150 gift card to Yew restaurant + bar at The Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver. You’ll also get a bottle of champagne upon your arrival, extra courses care of Chef, and gift backs of homemade preserves and treats for you to take home.

The winners of both prizes will be announced during the Festival.

See you tomorrow at the wharf!

Make sure you buy your tickets today to guarantee your spot (prawns)!

Spot Prawn Boil Single Admission: $12

Each admission to the Spot Prawn Boil includes:

• 1 plate of 3 succulent BC spot prawns plus a selection of sauces, salad, and Terra Breads baked goods
• Access to the drink tent for free samples from R&B Brewing, Mogiano Coffee, and Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery
• 1 entry to the Yew Prize Draw for You

Souvenir Package: $42

Great for out-of-town visitors. This combo includes:

• 1 plate of 3 succulent BC spot prawns plus a selection of sauces, salad, and Terra Breads baked goods
• Access to the drink tent for free samples from R&B Brewing, Mogiano Coffee, and Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery
• 1 signed Vancouver Cooks 2 cookbook with recipes for spot prawns and more
• 1 Spot Prawn Festival T-shirt
• 1 Spot Prawn Festival tote bag–take your souvenirs and live spot prawns home in style
• 1 entry to the Yew Prize Draw for You

New Member Combo: $45

Valued at over $72, this combination gets you:

• 1-year membership to the Chefs’ Table Society
• $2 off your Spot Prawn Boil admission
• Member discounts and perks from Chefs’ Table Society partners
• 1 plate of 3 succulent BC spot prawns plus a selection of sauces, salad, and Terra Breads baked goods
• Access to the drink tent for free samples from R&B Brewing, Mogiano Coffee, and Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery
• 1 signed Vancouver Cooks 2 cookbook with recipes for spot prawns and more
• 1 entry to the Yew Prize Draw for You

BC spot prawns make their triumphant return on Saturday, May 5th at False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf, just off the entrance of Granville Island. The Spot Prawn Festival celebrates its sixth year of sustainability and participation in the Eat Local movement. It’s an outdoor gathering of spot prawn enthusiasts and Chefs, complete with a Spot Prawn Boil, cooking demos, and the opportunity to purchase these tasty crustaceans fresh off the boat.

The Chefs’ Table Society of BC once again hosts this growing festival, and they expect to draw hundreds of people to feast and learn about this truly sustainable and local indulgence.

As popular as they may be today, it is only recently that these succulent morsels began to enjoy well-deserved fame on their home turf. Until six years ago, BC spot prawns were imported to Japan in its entirety; Steve Johansen of Organic Ocean explains that it took a fishing trip with Chef Robert Clark to realize that spot prawns needed to stay here in Vancouver.

“Rob Clark and I came up with the idea five years ago. It’s really because I had Rob out here fishing and he wanted [to use] the prawns, but I told him it was all going to Japan. So that winter, we came up with the idea of a Spot Prawn Festival to keep all the ‘Luv’ at home. It didn’t make sense to ship all these beautiful prawns and be stuck eating farmed tiger prawns that are not very good.”

And it’s a good thing they did. Steve describes that BC spot prawns are “like eating sugar. These spot prawns, all day long when we are fishing, we eat them alive out of the trap. They are sweet, succulent, and melt-in-your-mouth tender.”

If product quality alone is not enough to get you down to the dock, know also that our local Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association–the Festival’s title sponsor–represents one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world. Instead of cutting down the man-made rainforest to make room for expanding tiger prawn farms, BC prawn fishermen like Organic Ocean catch them in “clean glacier water, and they are wild and grow naturally, so that you can feel good about eating them.” And BC spot prawns are as local as they get. Steve mentions that when they are fishing, they are fishing only 5-6 miles away from downtown Vancouver.

So for 8 short weeks, you can do your part to eat local and sustainably, and delight your taste buds at the same time. BC spot prawns are available in the early afternoon daily from False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf for $12 a pound.

And with all the cooking tips and inspirations you will take back from the Spot Prawn Festival, you won’t run out of ways to enjoy these crustaceans.

Spot Prawn Festival Quick Links

• Official site: spotprawnfestival.com
• Buy tickets online to win the Yew Prize Draw for You
• Learn about BC spot prawns: Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association
• Twitter: @spotprawnfest

Special thanks to Welbert Choi for use of his photos from last year’s Spot Prawn Festival.

Our lucky winner gets to enjoy:

• One night stay at the newly refurbished Rosewood Hotel Georgia 
• A day out on a boat prawn fishing
• Dinner at C Restaurant
• Lunch at Hawksworth Restaurant

Thank you to everyone who supported us by buying tickets 

See you next year!

5^th Annual BC Spot Prawn Festival
Saturday, May 7th – 11 am to 3 pm
False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf (just west of Granville Island)

On Saturday, May 7^th the city’s top chefs prepare a spot prawn boil at False Creek’s Fishermen’s Wharf benefiting The Chefs’ Table Society. Meet local chefs and fishermen at this fifth annual prawn boil featuring demonstrations from Vancouver’s top chefs including Bishop’s Andrea Carlson; Ned Bell, Executive Chef of Rosewood Hotel Georgia, The Pear Tree’s Scott Jaeger, Provence Restaurant’s Alessandra Quaglia and Tojo as well as a BC wine tasting, live music and autographed cookbooks. The Vancouver Aquarium provides kids exploration of fabulous fish and other cool creatures through hands-on activities and other family friendly events.

This is a free family event with cooking demo’s and kids activities. Tickets for the prawn boil are available at $10, which includes fresh, off-the-boat spot prawns, salad side dish and Terra Breads to mop it all up with! Also included is a BC wine sample tasting and samples of Mogiana coffee. Tickets available on site; check back soon to pre-purchase your tickets online.

EDIT: online ticket sales are now open! Visit the Spot Prawn Festival page for full details or start grabbing your tickets below.

Canada’s largest Spot Prawn Festival and Prawn Boil makes fresh, right off the boat, local spot prawns available for hundreds to taste so after you’ve been inspired by the demo’s, grab your own bagful off the fishing boats ($12 per lb) and recreate the chef inspired dishes at home.

The festival kicks off the spot prawn season, which continues on for six to eight weeks allowing the public an opportunity to buy live, locally sourced and sustainable prawns directly off the dock daily from 1 pm at Fishermen’s Wharf (just west of Granville Island).

Parking: Please note on May 7^th only PARKING IS OFF SITE with a drop off zone at the bottom of 1^st Avenue and Creekside Drive Map.

Membership registration and renewal will be available

All members and new members wishing to sign up are welcome

Where:

The Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts

1505 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC (on Granville Island)

When:

Monday November 29th, 2010

*3:00pm – 4:00pm: – Annual General Meeting & Presentation

*4:00pm – 5:00pm: – Mix and Mingle, refreshments will be served

RSVP to Gemma Bishop: info@chefstablesociety.com

AGM Agenda:

• Approval of minutes from 2009 Annual General Meeting
• Report of the Vice President
• Report of the Secretary
• Presentation of financial statements
• Short Presentations from board members
• Clefs’ d’Or Scholarship Presented to the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
• Mix and Mingle, refreshments will be served
• Membership renewal and sign up

On Monday November 22, 2010, The Chefs’ Table Society of BC and the Vancouver International Film Centre will host Cinema to Savour at the Vancity Theatre, for a family friendly evening of film and food. Guests will enjoy delicious

French fare prepared by Scott Jaeger of the Pear Tree Restaurant, and get a taste of his talents before enjoying the Disney Pixar animated classic, Ratatouille.

Centered on a specific culture, each ‘Cinema to Savour’ movie night showcases the food of a selected top chef. These chefs choose films that have been inspirational to them and prepare and serve food that reflects the film and cultural theme of the evening. Poised to attract a wide audience of Vancouverite foodies and movie buffs, Cinema to Savour is the perfect way for moviegoers to engage with Vancouver’s top chefs and industry members.

Chef Scott Jaegar will share with the audience why he selected the film and will prepare and serve French-inspired finger food during the family-friendly evening. The Olive Oil Merchants will offer an olive oil tasting and delicious appetizers will be paired with wines from Desert Hills and Saturna Island Estate wineries, with local craft beer from R&B Brewery Co. Guests will nosh on treats catered to parents and kids, including popcorn and lemonade provided by Terra Breads,  coffee and hot chocolate from Caffe Artigiano, and delicious chocolate mice provided by The Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts.

Join over a dozen of Vancouver’s most celebrated chefs and food personalities for an evening of French-inspired film and food at the Chef’s Table Society of BC’s Cinema to Savour at the Vancity Theatre.

Ratatouille, Cinema to Savour tickets are $55 for adults and $15 for kids and can be purchased through the Vancity Theatre at www.viff.org. Each guest will have an opportunity to purchase a copy of Vancouver Cooks 2 and have their cookbook signed by Vancouver Cooks 2 editors and contributing celebrity chefs.

Tickets include film viewing, food, beverages and chef/audience discussion. Event proceeds will benefit the Chefs’ Table Society of BC and the Vancity Theatre. For more information call 604-683-FILM (3456).

Local culinary stars supporting the Canadian Chefs’ Congress are reprising their Mystery Kitchen Tour. This time we are located in the beautiful Vancouver Club, one of Vancouver’s oldest, and a Class “A” Heritage building. And, as is fitting for the slightly more formal setting, this dinner is a sit down affair. Seven courses**, paired with wine, prepared and served by seven world class chefs.

Which culinary icons will be preparing the cuisine at the July 30th dinner? Be one of the lucky 100 guests to find out!

Date: Friday, July 30, 2010
Time: 6pm – 10pm
Location: The Vancouver Club -map-
Suggested attire: Smart business casual*
Capacity: Limited to just 100 lucky guests
Price: $125 per person

The chefs – We’ll never tell.
The wines – Some of the best.
The menu – It’s a mystery…
The beneficiary – Young chefs, farmers, fishers, gardeners, foragers & artisanal food producers.

About the Mystery Kitchen Tour

The last Mystery Kitchen Tour was located at The Pacific Insitute of Culinary Arts. The theme: a mystery group of some of Vancouver’s culinary icons preparing, just for you, world class food and serving world class wines as you grazed through different kitchens about the school. The beneficiary: the 2010 Canadian Chefs’ Congress.

Back on June 27th, friends told friends and speculation turned to delight when 100 lucky guests were treated to a menu prepared by the following iconic chefs:

* Angus An – Maenam
* James Walt – Araxi
* Julian Bond – Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
* Ned Bell – Cabana Bar and Grille
* Neil Taylor – Cibo
* Neil Wyles – Hamilton Street Grill
* Robert Belcham – Refuel, Campagnolo
* Scott Jaeger – The Pear Tree

Friday, July 30th – This time we are located in the beautiful Vancouver Club, one of Vancouver’s oldest, and a Class “A” Heritage building. And, as is fitting for the slightly more formal setting, this dinner is a sit down affair. Seven courses**, paired with wine, prepared and served by seven world class chefs.

Which culinary icons will be preparing the cuisine at the July 30th dinner? Be one of the lucky 100 guests to find out!

Register for Mystery Kitchen Tour at The Vancouver Club in Vancouver, British Columbia on Eventbrite.

The Beneficiary

The 2010 Canadian Chefs’ Congress, themed as Oceans for Tomorrow, takes place September 11th & 12th in association with the Chefs’ Table Society of BC and our title sponsor, the BC Shellfish Growers Association. That weekend, chefs, cooks, apprentices and culinary students from across Canada will converge on Providence Farm in the heart of the beautiful Cowichan Valley for two days of conversation and deliberation on the state of our water ways, our effect on marine life and what constructive steps can be taken to improve the health of our oceans. Attendees will have the opportunity to sample Canadian inspired dishes from leading provincial and territorial chefs from across the country. As host, BC chefs will present the very best that our province has to offer. The weekend will be a series of unique tastes and experiences as you munch and mingle with fellow chefs, sipping BC wines, ales, beers, ciders, and mead. For full schedule details visit canadianchefscongress.com/british-columbia.

The Canadian Chefs’ Congress connects chefs to our land in solidarity with farmers, fishers, gardeners, foragers and all artisanal food producers. The Canadian Chefs’ Congress is a biennial gathering of chefs from across Canada that reinforces the passion and integrity of Canadian Food Culture. canadianchefscongress.com

* The Vancouver Club is a private club and has a dress code that excludes denim, sport clothing and casual footwear such as flip flops and running shoes.

**The menu will be a set menu and as such substitutions at time of service will not be possible. We ask that your palate is open to anything as befits the night, however if you have a severe food allergy it is incumbent upon you to let us know in advance so those substitutions can be allowed for.

On Monday July 12, 2010, The Chefs’ Table Society of BC and the Vancity Theatre will kick off Cinema to Savour, the most delicious film festival to ever hit Vancouver screens. Guests will enjoy Italian fare prepared by one of Canada’s top chefs, Pino Posteraro of Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill, and get a taste of his talents after supping from Campbell Scott’s foodie classic, Big Night, starring Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub.

Each ‘Cinema to Savour’ movie night showcases the food of a local celebrity chef who has found inspiration in the film being presented. Big Night is the first film in the four-part series; subsequent events run in the Fall, Winter and Spring. Pino Posteraro will share with the audience why he selected the film and will prepare and serve Italian-inspired bites together with local culinary giant John Bishop. Their food will be paired with wines from Burrow, Luongo & Associates, local craft beer from R&B Brewing Co., and finished with Caffe Artigiano coffee and fabulous biscotti provided by Terra Breads.

Poised to attract a wide audience, Cinema to Savour is a perfect way for foodies and movie buffs to engage with Vancouver’s top chefs and restaurant industry leaders.

Cinema to Savour takes place on Monday, July 12th at 7pm. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased through the Vancity Theatre at www.viff.org. Tickets include a Vancouver Cooks 2 cookbook, film viewing, food, beverages and chef/audience discussion.

Event proceeds will benefit The Chefs’ Table Society of BC and the Vancity Theatre.

For more information call 604-683-FILM (3456).

The Chefs Table Society of British Columbia is a collaborative dedicated to creating a foundation for the exchange of information between culinary professionals throughout the province. The society supports innovative and sustainable programs that inspire, educate and nurture chefs, producers and the local food industry. For more information please visit: www.chefstablesociety.com.