On March 6 and 7, 2025, UBC Food Services and Vancouver Community College (VCC), with primary financial support from FeedBC, held the Cooking in Two Worlds gathering.
Organized by leaders from UBC and VCC, with consultant Jared Qwustenuxun Williams, a food educator, writer, and consultant from Quw’utsun (Cowichan) on Vancouver Island, the gathering was deeply rooted in the objective of enhancing the presence of local Indigenous foods in British Columbia’s public institutions.
Over the two days, Cooking in Two Worlds brought together renowned Indigenous leaders and chefs to share powerful insights on integrating authentic Indigenous foods into institutional programs within BC’s hospitals, schools and post-secondary institutions.
“We extend our deep gratitude to Qwustenuxun for generously sharing his guidance and knowledge throughout this project. His insights ensured that Indigenous voices were honoured, respected and brought forth in a meaningful way.” — David Speight, Executive Chef and Culinary Director, UBC Food Services
Day one: UBC gathering
The first day of Cooking in Two Worlds was held at UBC, in the Marine Drive residence ballroom, where Indigenous elders, knowledge keepers, chefs, Indigenous food businesses, academics, students, government staff, and food leaders from healthcare organizations and primary, secondary, and post-secondary educational institutions came together for in-depth discussions and knowledge sharing.
In addition to hearing from keynote speaker, Andrew George, Hereditary Chief of the Wet’suwet’en Bear Clan and BC’s first Indigenous Red Seal Chef, attendees learned about a range of topics, including:
- Stronger inclusion of Indigenous food practices in BC institutions
- Colonial legacies and systemic barriers
- Building sustainable Indigenous food systems
Day two: culinary training at VCC
VCC hosted the second day of the gathering, which focused on hands-on culinary training.
This session allowed 25 chefs from BC post-secondary and healthcare institutions to connect directly with Indigenous chefs and gain first-hand experience in traditional food preparation, techniques and philosophies.
The day’s activities included:
- Cooking with Indigenous and Indigenous-sourced ingredients, such as Gitanyow salmon, elk and plant-based medicines.
- Engaging with Indigenous cultural teachings through food.
- Learning about and how to respect Indigenous food protocols and ethics.
Key learnings
David Speight, Executive Chef and Culinary Director, Food Services, shares some of his key takeaways from Cooking in Two Worlds:
- Supporting Indigenous food sovereignty is essential for BC’s public institutions.
- Institutions need to collaborate and engage in meaningful relationship building, with the Indigenous communities on whose land their institutions exist on, before incorporating Indigenous foods.
- Institutions must be prepared to source ingredients ethically and honour the cultural significance of Indigenous food preparation.
- Institutions should advocate for critical policy changes in provincial food regulations that can pose barriers to using some traditional Indigenous ingredients.
“This was a powerful and transformative event that laid the groundwork for a future where Indigenous foods are not only present but celebrated within BC’s public institutions,” says chef David Speight.
“The lessons learned and relationships built during this gathering will continue to guide institutions in honouring Indigenous food sovereignty, sourcing responsibly and fostering reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities.”
In addition to financial support from FeedBC, the organizing committee would also like to acknowledge the financial support of Sysco, the UBC Food Systems Committee, Pedersen’s and Sage Catering.
All photographs graciously shared courtesy of Jared Qwustenuxun Williams and Fiona Devereux.
