When long-time chef Nicholas Waters first started in 2013, he never expected it to take off.

害羞草研究所淭o be honest, I thought I害羞草研究所檇 be doing one function a weekend,害羞草研究所� he says with a laugh. 害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 think anything of it. Then all of a sudden, it turned into an animal.害羞草研究所�

Toque grew from just five full-timers three years ago to a staff almost 30 strong today, and the wealth of talent in Nick害羞草研究所檚 kitchen is enviable.

害羞草研究所淲e run with 10 to 12 executive chefs full time in the kitchen,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 one of the best teams I害羞草研究所檝e ever worked with.害羞草研究所�

About the same time Toque took off, Nick relocated to Metchosin, and the locale has been ideal both personally and professionally.

害羞草研究所淭he bigger we害羞草研究所檝e gotten, the more local we害羞草研究所檝e become,害羞草研究所� he says.

Toque is booked at least a year in advance, so Nick and his team have been able to approach local farmers well ahead of season to plan out orders, translating to reliable income for the small agriculture sector, as well as premium ingredients.

And though Nick says he doesn害羞草研究所檛 want to grow too big too fast, there are definitely some new and exciting directions coming down the pipe.

害羞草研究所淪tay tuned!害羞草研究所�

The 7 Sins

Envy:

Whose shoes would you like to walk in?

I am on my own journey in life and wouldn害羞草研究所檛 change a thing, good or bad, but I would love to be Michel Bras in Normandy, France for a day. He has been my favourite chef in the world since I was 18! His book is still better than most out there and it害羞草研究所檚 almost 20 years old.

Gluttony:

What is the food you could eat over and over again?

That is definitely a hard one, but I would say gyoza. No matter whether I害羞草研究所檓 at a pub, home or a high-end restaurant, 10 out of 10 times I will order it if it害羞草研究所檚 on the menu.

Greed:

You害羞草研究所檙e given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly. What would you spend it on?

I would travel all through Europe and eat and drink and just eat and drink until it was gone. Spain, Portugal, France, Italy 害羞草研究所� let害羞草研究所檚 face it, the money would be gone by then!

wrath:

Pet Peeves?

Everything, almost 害羞草研究所� but the freezers and coolers being a mess has to be the one that makes me think I害羞草研究所檓 going to have a heart attack.

sloth:

Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?

Spain.

Pride:

What is the one thing you害羞草研究所檙e secretly proud of?

It won害羞草研究所檛 be a secret anymore if I say this, but it would be the team 害羞草研究所� chefs, dishwashers, operations, planners, on-site service staff, rentals and anyone else I害羞草研究所檓 missing 害羞草研究所� and the culture we害羞草研究所檝e been able to create at Toque. I am grateful every day that I get to work alongside a very, very talented group. I actually like working with them all and don害羞草研究所檛 have a bad thing to say. They害羞草研究所檝e all become my family.

Lust:

What makes your heart beat faster?

Being on-site when shit hits the fan 害羞草研究所� like a barbecue falls off the top and an oven doesn害羞草研究所檛 work, etc. That shit turns me on when you come out of it unscathed and everything went perfectly, except your soul becomes a little darker!

I love the unknown and being able to make something out of nothing. The best was four or five years ago when the guys got me an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas. They said, 害羞草研究所淲ell, it害羞草研究所檚 on. Let害羞草研究所檚 see what you can do with this!害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟