Location: Nu Restaurant
Call to Order: at 2pm – Pino P. welcomed new board members Hidekazu Tojo and James Walt
Roll Call: Mary MacKay noted attendance
Present:  Pino, Mary, Dino, Karri, James, Andrew, Tojo, David, Scott, Don (Kerri), Jamie
Absent: Vikram, Robert Clark, Neil, Tiffany, Robert Feenie, Julian, John, Sid

 Approval of board minutes September 29, 2008 – Scott
  1. Presentation by Jason Boyce from Local Food First

    • Jason Boyce is one of the main project leaders for “Local Food First”, a collaborative effort aimed at facilitating the creation of a more sustainable, local food system in BC.
    • Jason is asking members to fill out the attached questionnaire.
    • Andrew put forward a motion to invite Jason back to a future board meeting to discuss the Local Food First program further.
  2. Cookbook update

    • Sid, Andrew and Pino met with the publisher to negotiate the contact further.  Chefs Table Society will receive a 70% discount on price of cookbooks.  Books will sell for $50 each.
    • Barbara-Jo’s distribution and handling has been increased from 10% to 12%.   Barbara-Jo’s has committed to purchasing 2000 copies.
    • All participating restaurants that will be actively selling cookbooks will be presented with a graph clearly showing what each stakeholder (i.e. the publisher (D&M), Chefs’ Table, the distributor (Barbara-Jo) and the restaurant will earn from each sale, both in percentage terms and in dollar terms at full retail. Karri will prepare a graph for CTS members showing the breakdown of costs for restaurants that purchase books for sale.
    • Each participating restaurant will be given a supply of special ‘pre-order’ cards, with space to describe the inscription, hard/soft cover, quantity etc., thereby giving CTS a year’s head start to sell books;
    • That a minimum of 1,000 cookbooks will be bound in hardcover for presents, as auction items and for restaurant regulars, VIPs etc.
    • That a focused sales campaign to tourism organizations, major law and financial firms be exploited over the next year.
  3. Fundraising Dinner at Cioppino’s – January 12, 2009
    • Chefs need to send in menu descriptions to Mary.  Tiffany will prepare PR.  Karri will design an elegant menu handout for restaurants about 100 cards with envelopes.
    • There are 118 seats to sell, $500 per seat.  8 seats have been reserved from the Chefs for Life auction.
  4. Financial
    • no report available
  5. New Business

    • Tony Minichiello has resigned from his board position and will continue as an active member of the Chefs Table Society.

Meeting adjourned at 2:59pm

  • Next Board meeting will be held Monday, November 24th at Nu Restaurant, 2pm.
  • Board meetings will be held the last Monday of every month.  Meetings will not be held in July, August or December.