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Back in April, we reached out to our readers for help in naming the best of the best people, places and businesses in Kelowna.
In May, we tallied your nominations and came up with a list for you to vote for your favourites in each category.
In June, we counted the votes and celebrated those who reached the podium at our Best of Kelowna party.
Now, we want to celebrate Best Of Kelowna year-round!
This bi-weekly series will showcase the top three winners of select categories and give you some facts about them to help you gain familiarity with who Kelowna voted as the top dogs in their respective fields.
Best of Kelowna: Local Chef
Gone are the days of food being a simple source of sustenance. Food has become something to look forward to, an excuse to try new things and a way to socialize. It’s even become an art form, with beautiful plating techniques and food photos taking over Instagram.
With Kelowna’s dining scene growing fast over the past few years, and many eateries taking advantage of amazing Okanagan-grown produce, it’s truly a foodies dream. Sometimes, however, we might not think much about who we have to thank for these amazing creations: the chefs! Here are the top three medalists for Kelowna’s Best Local Chef in 2017, as voted by you.
Gold: Rod Butters at RauDZ Regional Table
Chef Rod Butters has definitely made his mark on the Kelowna food scene. This is his fourth year in a row taking home Gold for the Local Chef category, and he doesn’t show signs of slowing down anytime soon!
Chef Butters was planning to pursue a baseball scholarship in the United States when he suffered an injury that prevented him from pursuing the sport. This is when he decided to focus on another one of his passions - cooking.
Over the past several years, Rod Butters has worked at many prestigious restaurants throughout British Columbia, and has even been inducted into the B.C. Restaurant Hall of Fame. He is now the head chef at RauDZ, a popular fine-dining restaurant that has also won countless Best of Kelowna awards over the years.
One of the reasons that Rod Butters is such a well-respected chef is his regional focus and commitment to sourcing his ingredients locally whenever he can. He even recently wrote his own cookbook titled “The Okanagan Table: The Art of Everyday Home Cooking”.
Silver: Mark Filatow at Waterfront Wines
Chef Mark Filatow happens to have quite a bit in common with this year’s Gold medalist, Rod Butters, including the fact that they worked together in Tofino before moving to Kelowna. Chef Filatow also worked at Fresco, now called RauDZ, before opening Waterfront Wines, the award-winning restaurant that he runs today.
He also has a similar passion for the farm-to-table experience, sourcing ingredients locally and even from his own garden, and offering a menu that changes with the seasons.
Mark Filatow is also a certified Sommelier, offering the perfect wine pairings to go along with his amazing dishes. His resume is impressive and his passion for cooking is clear as he won the Silver medal for the Local Chef category in 2016, and Bronze in 2015.
Bronze: Colin Woolridge at The Jammery
Colin Woolridge is the Kitchen Lead at the Kelowna breakfast hotspot, The Jammery. The Jammery is well-known for its amazing food, cute gift shop featuring locally made treats and, of course, their delicious jam made from fresh Okanagan fruits.
The tasty creations at the Jammery earned the restaurant a spot on the Food Network’s hit show “You Gotta Eat Here!” in 2015. This is Colin Woolridge’s first Best of Kelowna medal, and we’re excited to see what the future holds for him!
These local chefs have dedicated a huge part of their lives to their craft, always looking to take their culinary expertise to the next step and sharing their delicious creations with Kelowna residents and visitors along the way. Their passion for cooking and commitment to supporting local can be tasted in every dish. Congratulations to all of the nominees, finalists and medalists and thank-you to all who voted!
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