We are so excited to announce our partnership with a local business close to our hearts – The Fisherman’s Market in West Vancouver! We are teaming up with industry superstar Katie Budd to offer premium quality, locally sourced and sustainably caught West Coast Seafood!
When West Coast Wild Foods was formed in 2009, as the result of a partnership between Austin Glenn and Jeremy Budd, the vision was clear: to share the incredible adventure, intuitive knowledge, and unmatched culinary experience of wild-foraged foods with local people. The forests of British Columbia make up an area larger than France and Germany combined – over 149 million acres (60 million hectares) of pristine wilderness that contain a sustainable supply and unknown variety of wild foods: wild mushrooms, wild vegetables, wild berries, and wildflowers. When done in a responsible and ethical way, foraging is one of (if not the most) low-impact and sustainable sources of food as well as providing for the most natural and nutrient-rich diet on the planet.
We as a company have grown since our opening to offer a wide variety of locally harvested wild foods from the West Coast of Canada and the Pacific Northwest, most recently launching our Wild Food Box home delivery program around the Greater Vancouver Area in Spring of 2020. The goal of this program is the very same goal that Austin and Jeremy began with 11 years ago – sharing the forgotten knowledge and clear benefits of wild foods with local people.
In this spirit, we feel so inspired and excited at the idea of expanding our offerings from the forests to the sea – in partnership with someone equally as passionate and knowledgeable about local, sustainably sourced food – Katie Budd of The Fisherman’s Market.
Katie, along with Jeremy, was born and raised on the Sunshine Coast and has been a spot prawn fisherman from a young age. Her love for fishing and the ocean parallels Jeremy’s love for foraging and the forest – and this passion transfers seamlessly into her work at The Fisherman’s Market. Katie began working at the Fisherman’s Market Kamloops location in 2013. When she made the decision to move back to the Lower Mainland, she helped open the West Vancouver and the Gibson’s markets. With dedication and hard work Katie has not only managed the market but showed her true talents of inspiring customers and staff alike.
Beginning in February 2021, we will be carrying 6 of the highest quality and incredibly tasty products from The Fisherman’s Market. These will be available for home delivery (individually or as part of our Wild Food Boxes), local pickup at our south Burnaby location and for shipping throughout the province. Each of these products is Ocean Wise certified which guarantees that they are sustainably caught in West Coast waters (ranging from Howe Sound up to Bristol Bay Alaska depending on type of fish, more details below). More information on the Ocean Wise Seafood Program can be found here.
Sablefish
Commonly called Black Cod, although not part of the Cod family, Sablefish is prized for its intensely rich, buttery flavour due to its high oil content (comparable with Wild Salmon for levels of Omega 3 and fatty acids). Sablefish is also well known for its soft, velvety, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Pure white when raw, and yellowish when smoked, Sablefish have large yet delicate flakes, perfect pan-fried, grilled, or smoked. Caught West of Vancouver Island & Haida Gwaii, frozen and vacuum-packed in 5-6oz fillets.
Pacific Halibut
Pacific Halibut is a mild, sweet-tasting white fish with large flakes, a firm but tender texture and very lean. Its thick, succulent meat holds together perfectly when battered, while its distinctive sweet flavour holds its own against a wide variety of dishes. Caught in the Hecate Strait between Haida Gwaii and the Mainland of BC, frozen and vacuum-packed, these 5-6oz fillets are top quality and the perfect portion size for a hearty meal for one.
Wild Sockeye Salmon
Wild Sockeye Salmon boasts the richest red colour of all salmon, full-flavoured and high in fat and oil content – the highest Omega 3 content of any fish species. Prized in both Japanese and Western cuisine, Wild Sockeye Salmon is found in fine dining restaurants around the world. Commonly served in Sashimi dishes as well as smoked, steamed or pan-fried. Caught in Bristol Bay, Alaska, frozen and vacuum-packed in 5-6oz fillets.
Albacore Tuna
Albacore Tuna has a firm, steak-like texture with large moist flakes. Boasting a rich but delicate flavour, Albacore Tuna is one of the smaller Tuna varieties and has the lightest coloured meat. Excellent pan-fried or grilled, Albacore Tuna makes incredibly dense steaks and is also commonly used in Sashimi dishes as well as skewered and barbecued. Caught on the Northern BC coast, frozen and vacuum-packed in 5-6oz fillets.
Ling Cod
Native to the North Pacific, Ling Cod is a very lean fish with a dense, medium-firm texture and large flakes. Its white meat can have a blue-green shimmer which disappears with cooking. Ling Cod has a mild flavour that makes it perfect for dishes that feature a bold sauce – tomato sauce and tartar in particular. Excellent source of Vitamin B-12 and low-fat proteins caught off the coast of Northern BC, frozen and vacuum-packed in 5-6oz fillets.
Wild BC Spot Prawns
Reddish brown when fresh, turning bright pink when cooked, BC Spot Prawns are prized for their distinctive sweet, delicate, clean flavour and firm texture. BC Spot Prawn tails are harvested within a short window each year, and frozen in 1 lb packs. They require only one to two minutes cooking time and are done when they just turn pink. Perfect boiled or drizzled with olive oil, sea salt and crushed garlic and barbecued.
If you’re as excited as we are about these incredible additions to our product line, or if you would like more information on our partnership with The Fisherman’s Market and Ocean Wise, we invite you to reach out to us on social media, via email at info@westcoastwildfoods.com, via phone at 604-270-1350 or visit us at 8835 Northbrook Court, Burnaby BC V5J 5J1. You can also join our mailing list for exclusive offers, contests, and seasonal newsletter! We look forward to sharing these incredible products and knowledge with you – and if you have not tried our Wild Food Boxes yet, the perfect time is now!
