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Adem Tepedelen
Adem Tepedelen is a Victoria-based freelance writer and editor who specializes in music, travel, food and drink. In 2008 he won the Michael Jackson Beer Journalism Award. His work has appeared in EAT, Fine Cooking, Wine X, Imbibe, All About Beer and CityFood. He also writes a monthly beer column for Decibel magazine called Brewtal Truth and does a blog with the same name. Adem contributed to the EAT book “Island Wineries of British Columbia“.
Alyssa Belter
Alyssa graduated from the University of Victoria with a B.A. in English and Environmental Studies. Now, as an avid home cook, she pores through cookbooks like novels and writes with aplomb at Dispatches from the Dinner Table. She enjoys tearing the end off baguettes, pie for breakfast and eating apples, core and all.
Pamela Durkin
Pamela Durkin is a Victoria based freelance writer and registered nutritional consultant. Her writing focuses on nutrition, health and wellness, and travel. Pam started writing for EAT in 2005 and began penning our “Good For You” column in 2007. Her work has also appeared in the Times-Colonist, The Vancouver Sun, The Edmonton Journal, The Calgary Herald, and Focus Magazine. In addition, she is a regular contributor to Canada and Australia’s leading health magazine–ALIVE. When not extolling the virtues of fresh, whole foods in print, she can be found imparting her nutritional knowledge to clients seeking optimal health.
Anya Levykh
Anya Levykh was born on the shores of the Black Sea, in what was formerly the USSR. The cold, Communist winters were too much for her family, and, before she was four feet tall, they had left for warmer climes in the south of Italy. After steeping in olives and a little bit of grappa (purely by accident) for a few seasons, she arrived in Canada on American Independence Day, and was promptly told she was on the wrong side of the border. Despite the lukewarm welcome, Anya stayed and went on to study music and literature at the University of British Columbia, and cooking in her mother’s kitchen. She writes regularly on restaurants, food and wine, and is a weekly guest on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast, as well as managing editor of WestCoast Families magazine. She lives with her daughter and an ever-growing collection of cookbooks in Vancouver, B.C. http://www.foodgirlfriday.com/
Caroline West
Caroline West moved from Sydney, Australia to Victoria, B.C. in 2009. Caroline spent years as a magazine Art Director in Sydney and London and has been working as a magazine photographer since 2001. She is a regular contributor to Vogue Living, Travel + Leisure and Qantas Airlines inflight magazine. Her work has taken her to many destinations including outback Australia, remote Lord Howe Island, New Zealand’s wild west coast and Wyoming in winter. Caroline continues to work with Australian clients but when she’s at home in Victoria she can often be found shooting food with Chef Denise Marchessault at her cooking school French Mint.
“As an art director working in London I spent a lot of time on shoots with food photographers. I never thought I’d one day be shooting food and enjoying it so much. French Mint is a tranquil haven and if I have to shoot indoors it’s the best place for me to be.”Website
Carolyn Bateman
Carolyn Bateman has been a contributing editor to EAT since 2003. She has a long history with food and wine editing. As a senior copy editor for Toronto Life in the 1980s, she worked on its popular Epicure supplement. In the ’90s, as a staff editor for Western Living, she edited its restaurant review section; she was also managing editor of CityFood. Carolyn has a particular interest in sustainability and food security.
Deanna Ladret
Born and raised in Victoria, Deanna’s journalism career launched at the age of 9, as co-Editor In Chief of her cul-de-sac’s newspaper, The Autumnwood Times (don’t tell her you’ve never heard of it), and co-anchor of tape deck-recorded radio station JDLW AM1270. Ever since then, she has been trying to narrow the gap between her imaginary fame and the current reality. Years of employment in restaurants (plus marrying a chef) inspired her to pursue food writing. She can often be seen around town with her 2 year old daughter on one arm, a gigantic purse on the other, and a large coffee balanced somewhere in between.
Denise Marchessault
Denise Marchessault is the proprietor of French Mint Cooking School in Victoria, B.C. where she teaches classical cooking techniques. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, Paris (Ottawa), Denise holds the Grand Diplome, one of the few culinary credentials that signifies mastery of both pastry and culinary fundamentals.
With a special affinity for French cuisine, Denise believes life is a good deal better with a pot of homemade chicken stock on the stove, a jar of duck fat in the fridge and a sharp knife at the ready. Denise shares her passion for food though her teaching, writing and culinary escapades. www.frenchmint.ca
Elizabeth Smyth
Elizabeth Smyth has been a columnist for EAT since 2003, writing about great deals for great food under the various headings of “The $10 Gourmet,” “The Budget Gourmet,” and now “Eating Well for Less.” Her other profession is teaching English as a Second Language to immigrant and international students at Camosun College. Those two jobs have some crossover, as the multicultural students are a key source of restaurant tips.
Elizabeth is the mother of one half-pint budding foodwriter, who has been urging her to cover A+W.
Photo by Trevor Bonderud
Ellie Shortt
Born and raised in Victoria BC, Ellie Shortt completed a BA in Cultural Studies at McGill University before studying Broadcast Journalism at The British Columbia Institute of Technology. She lives for good food and worldwide travel adventures, and combined these two passions while studying French cooking and Art de Vivre (the French art of dining and entertaining) at La Cuisine de Marie-Blanche in Paris. Ellie loves getting her hands dirty, will try anything once, and finishes off every meal (breakfast included) with dessert. At a mere 5’2″ this petite journalist has the appetite of a 300Ib man, and can eat her way out of any situation.
Gary Hynes
Gary Hynes is a former sommelier, chef, sound engineer, bass player and innkeeper who traded the bright lights to found and edit EAT Magazine. He lives and eats in Victoria, BC with his wife Cynthia, son Colin and dog Sam. When not out delivering magazines he can be seen hunkered down in front of his trusty MacBook. He also produced and edited the book Island Wineries of British Columbia and authored the cookbook The Cooper’s Inn Cookbook.
Gillie Easdon
Gillie writes about what she loves to force herself to slow down and pay careful and close attention to what she is eating, savoring, experiencing. Other writing credits include Skier Magazine, Monday Magazine and Pique Newsmagzine. She has been accepted into UBC’s Writing Masters program. She also runs Every Step Counts, a running program that empowers people dealing with addiction, mental health issues and other social barriers. The power of beautiful food eaten together is a cornerstone of the program’s success.
Jeannette Montgomery
Jeannette Montgomery moved from small town Ontario to Vancouver in 1997 after falling in love with Horseshoe Bay. (really, who wouldn’t?) Big city life was fun. Then Jeannette met that special someone, and together they decided it was time to head for roads less traveled. In 2007, Jeannette and her fella moved to the Okanagan. She’s a freelance writer; her work has appeared in several Okanagan publications, both online and in print. Jeannette and her fella have three cats, one vintage car, and a garage that’s almost as big as their house (it’s a very small house). www.okanaganwriting.com
Julie Pegg
Julie Pegg is currently EAT’s contributing editor and has been writing for the publication for ten years. She was a product consultant for fourteen of her twenty-four years employment with BCLDB and still keeps her hand in (and elbow firmly bent) at Dundarave Wine Cellars in West Vancouver. Julie is also a keen amateur cook who loves culinary travel. Farmers’ markets are her first stop in any city or town.
Jen Dart
Originally from Barrie, Ontario, Jen is a long-time Tofino resident, although not quite long enough to be considered a full-fledged local. Since moving to Tofino, Jen has worked in five different local restaurants, and credits these experiences with igniting her passion for food and wine. Jen has also been writing professionally for the past five years. In that time, she’s worked for the local newspaper as both a part-time and full-time reporter and photographer. Jen’s work has appeared in a variety of publications, including SBC Surf Magazine, the Native Journal of Canada, the Victoria Times Colonist and the Vancouver Sun. She has a degree in English Literature from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. Jen is also an avid traveler and has experienced the rich cultural, epicurean and surfing experiences of Cuba, Peru, Indonesia and Mexico in the past few years.
Jeremy Ferguson
Jeremy Ferguson is an award-winning photojournalist and food writer based in Victoria. His foodie travels have taken him from the yakburgers of Tibet to the spicy stews of Yemen, from donkey in China to an armadillo in Mexico. The best thing he’s ever eaten was whole black truffle baked with foie gras in puff pastry on a terrace overlooking the Dordogne in France. The worst was dog liver, heart and lungs in Vietnam. “Smelled like an outhouse had just been blown out of the ground,” he says.
Karma Brophy
Karma is a lifelong resident and forager of Vancouver Island whose love of all things edible has landed her at farms, markets and some of the best tables from Victoria to Port Hardy. She relishes in the excitement of discovering great foodstuffs in her own backyard, but finds the experience is most complete when shared with others to enjoy.
Karma started her career in the corporate travel and meetings sector before venturing out on her own as a Visitor Experiences Specialist. Eventually she translated her obsession for food and drink into an Epicurean Concierge program and has been dishing up her knowledge to locals and visitors since 2001. Karma continues to expand her knowledge of Culinary Tourism through her graduate studies at Royal Roads University where she dedicates her research to exploring the optimal gastronomic experience.
Katie Paterson
Katie Paterson lives in gorgeous Victoria, BC and has dedicated much of her professional life to the written word, earning a Master’s degree in English Literature back in 2006 and subsequently working as a writer and editor. Six years of studying poetry turned her into an unabashed hedonist with a passion for all things beautiful: beautiful words, beautiful cities, beautiful food.
Larry Arnold
Is Operations Manager and Product Director for Metro Liquor Specialty Liquor Stores. He also writes the Liquid Assets column for EAT magazine and is a wine judge at the All Canadian Wine Championships. Larry contributed to the EAT book “Island Wineries of British Columbia.”
Maryanne Carmack
Growing up in an inquisitive family with a love for travel and nature, Maryanne feels fortunate to have been exposed to diverse landscapes and environments throughout her life, and to have gained a deep understanding and appreciation for the environment and its mechanics. Her fascination with nature led her first to study geography in university, and then to travel and see, first hand, the diversity of living nature. Along the way, while traveling to Russia, Turkey, Antarctica, Indonesia, Central America and the Arctic, she fell in love with photography and what it could say about nature and people. To Maryanne, photography has become a universal language, understood by all regardless of background, religion, age or language.
Her life goal is to become an active member in the community, and to generate public awareness for the environment through her photography and writing.
Melanie Tromp Hoover
Melanie Tromp Hoover is an avid storyteller, decent cook and mediocre tomato gardener.
A long-time local food systems advocate, communications expert and independent arts supporter, Melanie wears a lot of hats but finds that her freelance writer one fits best for packaging ideas and talking through alternative ways to eat well.
Follow her on Twitter at @melaniet_h and keep up with her other food-related exploits at www.mouthfulofflair.blogspot.com
Melody Wey
Melody Wey is a food writer, blogger and photographer based in Victoria. She has been serving up recipes and food musings on Audrey Needs More Wooden Spoons since 2006. She also compulsively collects food magazines and enamel bowls.
Melody has been part of Vancouver Island’s Feast of Fields volunteer team for the past two years as photographer and media relations’ expert. For a day job, she is employed with the provincial government working in communications and public relations.
On the subject of food, Melody’s work has been featured in Momentum Magazine, Monday Magazine, on CBC Radio, Green Muse and EAT. As a lover of all things food, feel free on contact her about writing and photography.
Michael Tourigny
Michael Tourigny has been a Victoria based advertising photographer for the past 16 years. After being contracted by Thrifty Foods 10 years ago to provide all images for their flyer, website, and all promotional materials, food and beverage became a delicious sideline. Now it has burgeoned into a specialty that includes 10- plus cookbooks, food magazines, food retailers, hotels, restaurants, breweries and wineries. Michael is now a dad, a grandfather and a little overweight.
To see videos of what he does, and how he does it, go to www.michaeltourigny.com
Michelle Bouffard & Michaela Morris
Michelle Bouffard & Michaela Morris co-own house wine, a wine consulting company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. house wine offers private and corporate wine tastings, team building seminars, restaurant consultation and cellar management. Established in 2003, it was conceived through a great friendship and genuine love of wine. Collectively, co-owners Michelle Bouffard and Michaela Morris have dedicated over 20 years to their vinous pursuits. Both have completed their Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma Programme and Michelle is a certified sommelier. Inseparable since their first sip, they have led tastings for groups of all sizes and have travelled to most of the world’s major wine regions.
Michelle and Michaela write for EAT Magazine, contribute articles to Wine Access and Review Magazine and make regular radio and television appearances. Their innovative team building seminars have been featured on CBC Television’s Living Vancouver and reviewed by the Globe & Mail. In 2008, Western Living Magazine included them in their “Top 40 Foodies (Under Forty)” in Western Canada. house wine advocates wine pleasure without pretence, where wine is demystified and laughs are guaranteed.
Rebecca Baugniet
Rebecca Baugniet is a food writer and enthusiastic home cook living in Victoria, BC with her husband and their four children. She is the author of 500 Casseroles, 500 Pizzas and Flatbreads and 500 Pies and Tarts and worked as food consultant on two other titles in the same series. Rebecca is delighted to find work where her two passions, writing and food, intersect.
Rebecca Wellman
Having lived on the West Coast all her life, Rebecca made the move from Vancouver to Vancouver Island in 2004 to pursue her love of fine food and expressive portraiture. A food and lifestyle photographer, her work can be defined by capturing the heart of the person (or the artichoke) with creative passion.
Rebecca reads cookbooks like novels, is currently obsessed with dried black mission figs and looks forward to the day that she has enough time to make her own cheese.
Rebecca contributed to the EAT book “Island Wineries of British Columbia“. Rebecca has been a contributor to EAT magazine since 2007. Website
Susan Evans
Susan Evans is a communications professional and freelance writer based in Victoria. A long-time foodie, she has been published in the Globe and Mail, restaurant industry trade publications and writes EAT Magazine online’s Weekend Planner which allows her to combine her two obsessions – food and planning.
Sylvia Weinstock
Sylvia Weinstock has been a food writer since 1995. She has also written numerous profiles of chefs and artists, and articles on such wide-ranging topics as happiness, punctuality, hula hoops, labyrinths, porches, taste memory and vastu vidya. For the past 15 years, she has written extensively about the healing properties of foods, herbs and spices and is completing a comprehensive book on the subject.
Theresa Carle-Sanders
Theresa Carle-Sanders is a professionally trained chef transitioning out of the kitchen and into a career as a food writer and personality. Her blog, Island Vittles, weaves light-hearted discussions about topical food issues with local ingredient spotlights, photos, original recipes and stories from her life on Pender Island, where she lives with her husband, Howard, and their dog Koda.
Tracey Kusiewicz
Tracey Kusiewicz is a commercially trained professional freelance photographer specializing in food, beverage and every epicurean, creating “tasty images” for cookbooks, magazines and advertisements in the culinary and hospitality industries of British Colombia.
It is Tracey’s passion for the culinary arts, combined with her expertise in photography and distinct style that translates the beauty of food in her imagery.
On assignment for EAT magazine, Tracey has the opportunity to meet so many fascinating local Chefs, Restaurateurs, and producers, it is these unique foodie excursions that allow her insight to such a fascinating and diverse epicurean world here in British Columbia . FOODIE PHOTOGRAPHY
Treve Ring
In addition to her duties as DRINK Editor of EAT, Treve is the Director of Liquid Assets for Edible Canada. She is a certified sommelier, wine consultant, judge, writer and editor. She graduated with distinction with an Art History degree from the University of Victoria and went on to receive her Sommelier Diploma from the International Sommelier Guild, as well as become a French Wine Scholar through the French Wine Academy and a Certified Sherry Educator. She is completing her studies with the Society of Wine Educators (certified through the CSW level), while completing her Diploma from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. She is the recipient of a Les Dames d’Escoffier Scholarship as well as the Vancouver SWE Rick Carl Memorial Scholarship.
Treve is a contributor to “Island Wineries of British Columbia“, published in early 2011.
