“It’s been an exciting couple of weeks,” says Chef Nick. “Getting in same-day caught halibut and spring salmon is one of the most exciting parts of being a chef in Tofino. Gooseneck barnacles are being harvested again now that the sea has calmed down and nettles, wild fennel and spring onions have all started showing up around the Clayoquot Sound area.”
Chef Nick cooks up fresh seasonal dishes such as spring salmon baked with nettle butter. Stop by for a taste of spring or take a walk in the local area to experience the food in the wild. Spring wild foods such as fennel and onions fill the air with their distinctive fragrance of licorice and, well, onion. Unlike the white bulb of cultivated fennel, wild fennel has a tough root and is harvested for its green fronds and seeds.
We’re proud to work with Tofino’s fisherman and Alexander our forager to make the most of spring. Ucluelet-based Alexander McNaughton is the man when it comes to sourcing local wild food – he can usually be found deep in the forests hunting for mushrooms or foraging along the shoreline with his dog Jack.