"If these young people are the face of our culinary future, then that future is very bright indeed,” said John Bishop about the quality and passion of the inaugural group of Bishop Scholarship recipients.

Just an hour before, John had arrived at North Arm Farms in Pemberton for Cooks Camp, and after brief introductions, and as low clouds encircled towering Mt. Currie, he handed out the awards.

Joining him was Mark von Schellwitz, Western Canada Director for Restaurants Canada, a sponsor of both Cooks Camp and the Bishop Awards. A little later, after meeting the awardees, he said, “John Bishop really lit up these young folks—he’s not only an icon of locality and sustainability, but he truly engages them and their desire to improve. Also, walking around the farm with John tonight was like being with a rockstar, but with better chops.”

The Bishop Scholarships were announced earlier this year at an RC convivial in Vancouver. In recognition of John, the scholarship program awards culinary excellence in service, cookery, farming and sustainability.

In addition to John and Mark, Chefs’ Table Society directors Jamie Maw (Co-Founder of CTS) and Ken Nakano (Executive Chef at The Laurel Point Inn and Aura Restaurant), filled out the panel of judges. In addition to Restaurants Canada, the Bishop family and Chefs’ Table, other founding sponsors include Premium Brands and Richard Ingram of Kelowna.

It’s important to realize that these young culinarians bring much more than their professional pursuits to the table. They all engage in extracurricular initiatives, fulfilling locums and stages, pop-ups and extensive travels, and especially, volunteering for fundraising events, many under the CTS umbrella such as the Spot Prawn Festival and Brewery and The Beast.

One of the primary incentives to attend Cooks Camp was to work alongside their mentors, and to enjoy the professional collegiality and networking opportunities.

This past summer, adjudicating the awards presented a problem for our judges. The 11 entrants were each uniquely qualified — and as their entry letters and accompanying letters of recommendation attested — very enthusiastic to attend Cooks Camp.

“Two many tough choices,” the judges soon agreed. “So instead of awarding our original budget of four placements, let’s award all 11 entrants.” Agreement was immediate.

If the awardees had arrived from all over the world, they now make BC their home, and proudly so:

Pamela Acha
Line Cook working toward Chef de Partie, Bacaro Restaurant, Vancouver

Sebastian Carretero
Apprentice Cook, The Village Butcher, Victoria

Benoit Cecile
Student — Sustainable Agriculture Program and Sous Chef, Bacaro Restaurant, Vancouver

Alice Cheung
Culinary Student - Professional Cook Program, Camosun College, Victoria

Danae Dejong
Cook, West Vancouver Yacht Club, VCC Apprentice Chef of the Year, Junior Culinary Team Canada, Langley

Christian Evangelio
UBC - pursuing degree in Food Science and Nutrition, Vancouver

Lucas Parente
Sous Chef - Belgard Kitchen, Vancouver

Tomer Rockman
UBC Sustainable Agriculture and Field Lead, The Sharing Farm, Richmond

Teddy Tran
Culinary Student VCC and former Head Chef, Romer’s Restaurant, Vancouver

Anna Webster
Culinary Educator at EcoCooks, Kelowna

Mikkaella Garcia
Chef de Partie – Belgard Kitchen, Vancouver