Popular Event Headed For Mt. Washington Alpine Resort June 23-25
Oysters are but one of the seafoods to be enjoyed at the BC Seafood Festival
COMOX VALLEY – There will be a mountain of seafood at the top of Mt. Washington on June 23-25.
The BC Seafood Festival will be held at the alpine resort for the first time, and organizers are expecting an enthusiastic and large crowd to sample seafood prepared by world class chefs, attend master classes, watch chef demonstrations and listen to presentations by industry leaders and experts.
BC Seafood Festival’s new Chef Ambassador is Ned Bell
“We are thrilled to be hosting the event for the first time on Mount Washington Alpine Resort, and can’t thank our seafood industry and corporate sponsors enough for their ongoing support and participation,” says Brian Yip, President of the BC Seafood Festival Board of Directors. “We are also excited to be bringing back the International Seafood Buyers Mission with buyers coming from Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and the USA to meet with our producers and do producer site visits.”
Yip notes the festival is the largest seafood event on the west coast of Canada, adding. “The board decided to make a big post-pandemic move to set the stage for the next generation of the event to flourish in its recognition of the importance of BC seafood, the industry and the chefs who embody the bounty of BC seafood.”
The Comox Valley produces over 50 percent of all of BC’s shellfish and the most oysters in Canada, and this is the 15th for the BC Seafood Festival (formerly the BC Shellfish Festival). It began as a single event dinner developed and hosted by the BC Shellfish Growers Association (BCSGA).
Ned Bell, the Festival’s new Chef Ambassador is a well-known Canadian culinary talent who has forged a path as a chef, sustainable seafood advocate, and educator. He’ll be joined by Patrick McMurray, otherwise known as Shucker Paddy, a World Champion Oyster Shucker, oyster sommelier and culinary educator who has been a highlight of the BC Seafood Festival for many years. Shucker Paddy won the World Championships of Oyster Opening in 2002 and holds three Guinness Book Records for shucking oyster: 39 in one minute, 8,840 Oysters in one hour on a team, and 1,114 Oysters in one hour by himself.
Festival Events include a “Wild About Halibut!” lunch and demonstration from chef Will Lew of Club Versante, Master Classes titled Prawn To Be Wild!, Happy Endings Geoduck, Ocean Wise Deep Dive and Follow Me Cocktails and Learn To Shuck.
Other free Chef demonstrations will be on spot prawns, Dungeness crab, sablefish and seaweed.Chefs include the likes of Amanda Swinimer of Dakini Tidal Wilds, Chris Whittaker of Timber Shuswap, Aaron Rail of Nikkei Ramen-Ya and Julian Bond of Organic Ocean Seafood.
The event includes the always popular Gala Dinner and new After Parties, this time featuring Time Well Wasted, and the Friday night Kitchen Party with Boondock.
The view from the top at the new BC Seafood Festival site: Mt. Washington
Tim Defert, Director of Operations at Mount Washington Alpine Resort, says “Mount Washington offers stunning views of the valley below, along with an incredible roster of outdoor adventure activities and a range of accommodation options. The destination venue allows the Festival a depth of indoor and outdoor event hosting options no matter the weather, removes site impacts from the previous location, while also offering an enhanced experience for Festival attendees.”
Every Festival guest will receive a free Chair Lift Ride, courtesy of Mount Washington Alpine Resort.
For tickets and information about the event, visit www.bcseafoodfestival.com
