If there’s one thing we’ve leaned on over the past year and a half of dealing with the new COVID reality, it’s community.

That’s where we’ve sought solace, found comfort and camaraderie and reaffirmed our collective sense of togetherness even when we were forced to stay six feet apart.

In a recent article in @menumagca, writer J. Marie Nicholson interviews Chef Meagan Bowden aka @platterqween on her @phancyfoodcatering business in Toronto, the importance of building a strong community and her deep-rooted passion for food and hospitality.

It was the sense of community she found with other women in the industry — not just during the pandemic, but throughout her career — that Bowden credits with having been crucial to her success thus far, as well as her mental survival while navigating COVID-19’s choppy waters.

Bowden has long been a passionate advocate for female and female-identifying entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry and in 2018 the Female Foodie Entrepreneur Meetup was born of her desire to provide a support system for like-minded individuals. Pre-pandemic, she organized monthly meetings for people to connect, problem-solve and learn from each other.

Like many others in the industry, she has leaned on her community more than ever throughout the past year, and would offer the same advice to fellow entrepreneurs.

Read the full Menu Magazine feature on Meagan Bowden at the link in our bio above.

Stand tall. Stay strong. Show love. Support local.

It’s National Indigenous Peoples Day — in the midst of National Indigenous History Month — across the land now known as Canada, and we want to take this time to acknowledge and recognize the lasting legacy, diversity and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis People.

At @salmonnbannockbistro — Vancouver’s only Indigenous owned and operated restaurant — Owner and Co-Founder Inez Cook and her team will be marking the occasion by serving up a Salmon BBQ today from 3-9 p.m. at 1128 W Broadway.

Cook, who grew up in Vancouver and is a proud member of the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola and co-author of the children’s book ‘The Sixties Scoop’ with @eaglespeakerpublishing, said in a recent BBC interview that she wants to “offer more than just good food … I want it to be a path for people to learn about Canada’s Indigenous Peoples. The First Nations face a lot of prejudice and ignorance, but if we tell our stories and share our traditions through food, we can go some way to overcoming it. Food can help build bridges.”

Our Chef friend and founder of @onearrowyvr Heat Laliberte also gave a shout-out to his favourite Indigenous owned businesses to support and follow, including @sriracharevolver, @mr.bannockcoffeehouse, @spiritbearcoffeecompany and @sectionthirtyfive, and we also want to show some love for Westbank’s @kekulicafebannock on this day.

Stand tall. Stay strong. Show love. Support local.

Last year at this time, we were proud to feature a series championing Black restaurateurs, chefs and entrepreneurs. One of them was Justin Tisdall, Co-Owner of Vancouver’s @jukefriedchicken, @beetboxveg and @chickadeeroom.

Today is ‘Juneteenth’, which commemorates the day (June 19, 1865) that enslaved Africans in Galveston, TX finally learned from Union soldiers that they were free, a full two years AFTER Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

“Juneteenth is a massively important day for me” says Tisdall. “While August 1, 1834 is the day that slavery was abolished in Canada, Juneteenth is one of the most important days in Black American history. However, freedom is one thing and equality is a whole other concern.”

Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden signed legislation that established June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day.

“Speaking for myself it’s great to have allies but it’s hard to see the impact. These allies have been dominant for so long and we’ve been oppressed. It’s great that this (has been recognized) in the US but bittersweet as it took these dominant allies to decide that this is now a ‘solemn occasion’ for our culture,” says Tisdall. “It has always been an important day for the Black community long before it was widely recognized by the US Government. Don’t get me wrong — these are still huge steps that needed to be taken in terms of reconciliation and awareness.”

When it comes to ways in which non-Blacks can pay Juneteenth — or Emancipation Day on August 1 in Canada — the respect it so rightly deserves, Tisdall recommends education and reflection.

“When 17+ million Black people died just in the slave trade alone — not including actual slavery — these numbers are far too big to forget or history to gloss over. A day of remembrance or education is a step in the right direction. Support our local charities. Spend time telling your children the history lessons that may not learn in school.”