OUR 2024 chefs
The Union Club – Chef Alexander Amos
Vancouver Island born, Alexander Amos began his cooking career in 2004. Chef Amos started out locally in the well-known and respected establishments of ReBar & Spinnakers Pub. After completing the culinary Arts program, with honours, at Malaspina University, Chef Amos moved to Vancouver to home his skills. Chef Amos continued to learn greatness under the guidance of Vancouver’s top chefs: Dale Mackay of Lumiere and DB Bistro, and Hamid Salimian at Diva at the Met. Chef Amos also had successful tenures with Mission Hill Winery, under the guidance of Matthew Batey, and the critically acclaimed establishment of Daniel Boulud from New York City. Now back in his hometown of Victoria, and with The Union Club of British Columbia, Chef Amos proudly continues to provide creative and thoughtful food that pays respect to the glorious ingredients that can be found on Vancouver Island.
10 Acres Bistro – Chef Marcelo Najarro
Marcelo Najarro is one of three talented chefs working for the 10 Acres group of restaurants. Originally from El Salvador, where he trained at the School of Culinary Arts, Marcelo came to Canada in 2008 where he began working at the former Pescatores. He is passionate about creating and serving inspired dishes using often the most innovative, local ingredients available. Marcelo and his team pledge to serve the best of the Island at 10 Acres Bistro, Kitchen and Commons, and what they don’t grow and ethically raise on their own organic farm in North Saanich, they proudly source from other like-minded sustainable, local farmers, food purveyors and fishermen.
Executive Chef Ken Nakano was raised in a traditional Japanese household, where he was responsible for tending his family’s backyard garden, and regularly ventured into the woods and water to forage and fish. His mother instilled in him deep respect for culinary traditions – including honouring the seasons, nourishing the land and harvesting responsibly – and he has carried her teachings with him throughout his career.
Passionate about protecting the environment, Chef Nakano has prioritized a farm-to-to table approach throughout his 20-year culinary tenure and supports local farmers, producers and fishermen wherever possible. He was instrumental in launching the Vancouver Aquarium’s OceanWise sustainability program on Vancouver Island, and regularly mentors young cooks, teaching them to appreciate and honour the land. Prior to joining the team at Inn at Laurel Point, Chef Nakano led the culinary teams of globally recognized companies like Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver, Rosewood Hotel Georgia, and Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. While living in Singapore, he also worked with luxury cruise ship line Crystal Cruises.
Now, overseeing all culinary operations at Inn at Laurel Point– which includes banquet cuisine, in-room dining, Grab & Go options, and the Inn’s signature restaurant, Aura Waterfront Restaurant + Patio – Chef Nakano applies his philosophy of marrying locally sourced and seasonal ingredients with worldly flavours. With a traditional yet inventive approach to cooking, Chef Nakano utilizes techniques such as slow-cooking, salting and sugar-curing chinook salmon – a Japanese tradition he learned from his parents – and is eager to introduce these and other localized approaches of cooking to Inn at Laurel Point diners. Working alongside the rest of the Inn’s acclaimed culinary team, he excitedly plans future crops for the property’s award-wining garden, to include indigenous to Vancouver Island ingredients like herbs and edible flowers, as well as rare and unique items such as Japanese vegetables.
Ferris’ Grill & Garden Patio – Chef Billy Sanderson
Chef Billy has been in the restaurant industry for 32 years now, starting at 14 years old, lower than a dishwasher, as a pot scrubber for the Royal Canadian legion in Abbotsford. He was hired when their chef burnt everything in sight, and all the dishwasher threatened to quit if they didn’t hire a kid to scrub pots. They realized quickly that it was silly to employ a pot scrubber, so they fired the chef, and Billy was promoted to a dishwasher. The new chef loved his hard work ethic and took him under her wing and 1 month after he graduated, she retired and he was the new head chef. Billy then decided the culinary life was his calling and he fully immersed myself in cooking. He worked in many areas in the the Okanagan including fine dining, catering, golf courses, resorts and senior living. In 2004, Billy obtained his Journeyman Red Seal Chef certification from UBC-Okanagan. Billy has worked in many fine establishments across BC and just finished opening The Copper Otter Grill on Pender Island. Billy’s main hobby is archery where he is an internationally sponsored athlete and was a member of the Canadian national archery team that went to Italy last year to represent Canada as the only Vancouver Island team member for the World Archery Championships.
Portofino Bakery
Portofino Bakery is a Victoria based wholesale bakery specializing in Artisan Loaves and Buns.
Portofino prides itself on offering products that taste good and are good for you, removing sugar, salt, and preservatives from many of their products. Portofino produces products that are made with wheat that has been grown and milled on Vancouver Island. You can find your favourite Portofino goodies in grocery stores and markets across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
