Mensch Kitchen and Catering

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Mensch Kitchen and Catering

Honest Food with Ethical Roots Thoughtful, Nourishing Food
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18/12/2023

A present for you! We’re extending our deadline for ordering our holiday heat at home menus to December 20th!

You can order the full spread, just the sides, dessert or peruse our website to add some stocking stuffers from our pantry!

We’ll be offering delivery in the Cowichan valley on the 22nd and 23rd, and in Victoria on the 23rd. Folks are also welcome to pick up orders directly from our kitchen in Lake Cowichan!

For ordering instructions please email us at [email protected].

12/12/2023

Hey Victoria friends!

We’re excited to announce we’ll be making deliveries of our holiday heat at home menu on December 23rd in Victoria! Skip the stress this holiday season, order off our delicious holiday menu and let us take care of the food for your family gatherings.

More information at the link below:

https://www.menschkitchen.ca/index.php/seasonalofferings/

28/11/2023

We're bringing back our popular heat at home holiday menus!

On December 22nd and 23rd we're offering delivery throughout the Cowichan Valley and pick up at The Window in Lake Cowichan.

This time you can choose between ordering the full spread, just the sides, just the main or dessert. Follow this link to our order instructions:

https://www.menschkitchen.ca/index.php/seasonalofferings/

Order by December 18th. Quantities are limited!

23/11/2023

The last three courses of our dinner with .

Plus some team shots 😊

We love when we’re able to collaborate with our friends to put something like this together.

Daikon
daikon ‘scallop’, sunchoke, killer vegan xo

Pork Belly
celeriac, kiwi, crispy garlic

Cream Puff
rosemary anglaise, milk chocolate, groundcherry caramel

21/11/2023

More from our dinner with on Sunday.

Sablefish and Pine Mushrooms
pine mushrooms candied, roasted and broth, sage oil

Lamb Belly
borlotti beans, radish, turnips, elderberry jus

Purple Sea Urchin
yuzu crème fraiche, finger lime, custard

21/11/2023

Sunday night celebrated their 10th anniversary and we were invited to curate a menu for the occasion.

10 years
10 wines
10 courses

Courses 1-4

Farmers Cheese Mousse
olive tuille, mostarda, schmaltz emulsion

Kholrabi
curry, kumquat, apple, pickled green chili

Rabbit Hot ‘Wing’

Beef Carpaccio
paprika espuma, coriander pickle, cured duck yolk, brioche

03/11/2023

We've been named a finalist for the Leadership in Hospitality Award for the 2023 Ecostar Awards presented by Synergy Foundation!

We've always put sustainability in the forefront of how we operate Mensch Kitchen. Diverting food waste and sourcing from small farms in our community has been at the core of our efforts in limiting our impact and contributing to our community's resilience.

This year we took it a step further and released our first Sustainability Package. It is our response to the limiting factors that have made it challenging over the years to offer truly sustainable menus for our clients. If you'd like to learn more about these offerings, follow this link to our website: https://www.menschkitchen.ca/index.php/sustainable-catering/

The photos in this post are from our very first sustainability menu from way back in April, and we are very excited to say that we served similar menus 10 times in total this year.

Thanks to for the photos!

26/10/2023

We made it through our busiest season yet! And after celebrating alongside 80 beautiful couples, we finally were able to celebrate the marriage of one of our own!

Congratulations to Michael and Brittany!

We’ll be sharing highlights of our season in the coming weeks along with what’s new headed into winter, but for now enjoy these beautiful moments from the Shipley’s gorgeous destination wedding Oct 13, 2023.

26/06/2023

This spring we had the pleasure of working working with a collection of talented industry pals during a shoot put together by the lovely from

The shoot was featured over at last week!

Planning://
Venue:
Photography:
Catering:
Bar & Beverage:
Florist:
Stationery:
Draping, Silk Trees + Lighting:
Decor:  +
Hair + Makeup:
Wardrobe:

27/05/2023

Lilacs!

We’re fortunate to be based in the Cowichan Valley where many spring foragables are easily accessed. We’re also fortunate that we have lilacs right outside our kitchen door.

We use them in one of our new favorite desserts. Ricotta tart with fresh ground cornmeal shortcrust, lilac infused honey and blue matcha chantilly.

05/05/2023

Menu Drop!

A menu featuring pork, eggs, lamb, apples, and honey from . And olive oil from the family farm in Greece!

This will be a feast to remember.

Grab your reservations at bit.ly/orchardbrunch !!!

02/05/2023

This week we’re paying homage to a group of Mensches that we hold close!

When us Shipley brothers bought the business in 2017, our team basically consisted of Dan, Michael, and occasionally Michael’s partner Brittany who would help us with anything from writing our menu chalkboards to working music festivals for entire weekends with us in the trailer. We all lived together, worked together and needless to say, we probably saw too much of each-other that summer. 😂

We employed the help of friends to work with us at most events in our first year and finally hired our first full time team member the following summer (shout out to ) who is still working events with us today.

Our team has certainly grown since the early days. Many of our chefs and servers have been with us now for multiple years and as we move into event season and start to see so many familiar faces, we can’t help but feel proud to be alongside them.

We’ve been left with a lingering thought since a couple weeks ago. That being how fortunate we are to have worked alongside such an amazing group of industry weirdos throughout the years.

So for all of you Mensches from our past and present, thank you! We would truly be nowhere without your contributions and we’re so grateful to have grown alongside you over the years.

25/04/2023

We are beyond thrilled to announce that Mensch Kitchen and Catering has been awarded the Best Caterer of the Year 2022 by the ! We are so grateful for this recognition and want to thank all of our amazing clients who trusted us with their special day.

Last year was a year of growth and resilience, and we are proud of the hard work and dedication that our team put into every event. From cooking on the side of a hill in the rain, to dealing with unexpected power outages, our versatility shined through.

We are passionate about creating unique and customized menus for each of our clients, while also accommodating dietary restrictions and preferences. Our commitment to sustainability and sourcing locally sets us apart from other caterers, and we are proud to support small farms and producers throughout the Island.

Most importantly, our strong level of customer service is what truly sets us apart. We are there for our clients every step of the way, from the first email to after the event. We are grateful for the trust our clients have placed in us and will continue to work tirelessly to exceed their expectations.

Thank you again to the Vancouver Island Wedding Awards and to all of our incredible clients. And congratulations to all the award winners from this year, including our friends ! We can't wait to see what the future holds! Cheers to a wonderful year! 🎉🍾

23/04/2023

Is it too late for an post?

We’re very proud to have been awarded ‘Green’ certification and a top 10 standing by earlier this year.

We put a lot of effort into keeping our impact on the planet low while doing our best to have a positive impact in our community.

We also recently became members of the Slow Food Chefs’ Alliance. The way we source has given us the pleasure of connecting with our community. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of what we do and we’re happy to join a membership made up of chefs who share the same values.

🌍

14/04/2023

🌱 Our contribution to the ‘spring has sprung’ theme in your feed 🌱:

We are very fortunate to have connected with .foraging this year to bring in some of this season’s first offerings. Cattail, magnolia flowers, redcurrant flowers, wild garlic and wild watercress. Lovingly gathered and processed before arriving in our kitchen Tuesday evening.

It’s the first time our chefs have been able to play with cattail shoots. We featured them along with cress and currant flowers in a dish on our sustainability menu from an event this week. The shoots are lovely to eat raw as we did in this dish, but we will be lacto fermenting the rest to extend their shelf life and add a little funk to some future salads.

Thanks Micah! Looking forward to the next load of nature’s goodies.

06/04/2023

We are hiring a prep chef for the season and possibly beyond.

32-40 hours a week
$23-$25/hr depending on experience
Health Plan
Opportunity to contribute on site during events

Ideal candidate would have 3+ years experience in kitchens working with whole ingredients and scratch cooking, a positive attitude and is excited to work with the highest quality locally sourced ingredients.

About us:
We are a farm to table catering company operating throughout Vancouver Island, with our production kitchen in Lake Cowichan. We work with dozens of Cowichan Valley and Saanich farms and other producers. Every event we cater contributes to our efforts in cultivating a circular economy and strengthening community resilience.

Come by the kitchen at 169 South Shore Rd to drop off a resume or email us at [email protected].

Looking forward to connecting!

04/04/2023

In 2021 we catered a wedding on a gorgeous Mill Bay property with Sara Stevenson at the helm as the couple’s planner. We all now refer to this as the ‘windy wedding’. During cocktail hour, the winds picked up to such an extend that it was no longer safe for guests to be under the reception tent. Sara worked with the vendors to improvise solutions to keep everyone happy and nourished. She asked us to extend cocktail hour and so we served what was meant to be the 2nd course pasta dish in glassware so that guests could eat while they waited for their tables to be moved into a safer area. The wind was so strong at this point that we had to grate parmesan about a meter away for the wind to carry it to its intended landing spot. The wedding ended up being a huge success, in large part because of Sara’s calm, confident energy that kept everyone on task. This endeared her to our team.

Today Sara is the owner of Function Design House, an event planning and design firm with kindness, creativity and professionalism at the core of what they do. We’re proud to say we were one of Function’s first clients, as Sara helped design our branding, mensch merch, and even planned our launch party back in February. Not to mensch-ion she’s the one who asked the question that led to our new name. We have always had fun working alongside Sara at events, but working beside her throughout the months leading to our rebrand gave us a greater insight into just how passionate and talented she is.

When Sara launched Function, she wasted no time in positioning her firm as one that leads by example by committing to donate her time and resources to nonprofits in the mental health sector. (Sara is currently working with Citizens Counselling as the first recipient of Function’s Project Serotonin.) Sara puts working with people that share her values as a high priority, as well as working with clients that have fun, unique visions for events and design projects. She is thoughtful in minimizing her events environmental impacts while still delivering splashy displays and eye catching decor.

Sara, you’re one of a kind.

What. A. MENSCH!

16/03/2023

In our kitchen we put a lot of effort into finding ways to minimize waste. It’s one of the ways that we challenge ourselves and keep the creative juices flowing.

Parsley stems are utilized in most kitchens by adding them to stocks. We do the same in ours but recently has been lacto fermenting them, then dehydrating them, and then spinning them into a powder. We’ve taken to calling it ‘funky parsley business’ in our kitchen and it’s got us thinking towards the summer when we’ll have an excess of parsley, cilantro and dill stems. Think dill pickle seasoning.

For now we’ll keep using it to season our fries, hence the ‘Funky Fries’ currently alongside our Pork Tonkatsu Sandwich being served from by at The Window.

11/03/2023

Thank god it’s Friday!🎉🥳

Even if you love your job (like we do!) long hours at work can have you feeling a little sluggish by the end of the week. But imagine if you had a delicious, locally-sourced, chef-prepared lunch to look forward to at your next staff meeting as a mid-week pick me up?

Check out our selection of individual drop-off options including the Buddha bowls pictured here, (choose from local chicken or sustainably sourced tuna), strombolis, frittata, and hot wraps with a variety of fillings - always fresh, featuring high quality local ingredients and our delicious house made condiments, preserves and sauces. Yes, we even make our own chili crisp! 🌶️

We also offer a variety of sandwich platters, charcuterie boards and grazing plates to suit every occasion. Learn more about our corporate catering options on our website, linked in our bio.

07/03/2023

We first became connected with Matthew Huotari while making introductions with Nourish Cowichan Society during a weekend of volunteering in the kitchen. That was back in 2017, back when Matthew owned one Panago Pizza location in town and was a constant presence at Nourish both in the kitchen and by uplifting the charity through successful fundraisers he organized through his business.

Now Matthew owns two locations and seems to have also doubled his efforts within our community. He continues to volunteer every week with Nourish Cowichan, and is now a major advocate and philanthropist for Cowichan Valley Youth Services Society, an organization that provides free counseling and support for Cowichan’s youth and their families. You can donate to both of these causes through their websites, found in their profiles.

Matthew is passionate about bringing our community up. His efforts have had tangible impact on many lives.

“I have figured out that the community stuff is something I get the most joy out of. It makes me want to work harder to be able to do more. Sounds kind of cliché…”

You’re right, Matthew, but this is what makes you a MENSCH!

06/03/2023

pink/swimming/singing scallop crudo
kiwi-radish-yuzu and golden egg sack foam

The newest addition to our canape menu features pink scallops, sustainably harvested in the waters around Quadra Island.

04/03/2023

Last night our chef returned to the kitchen that sparked his passion for food. We were fortunate enough to be catering opening night gala, the first since 2020.
Chef Al Irving ran the culinary program at back then and taught his students anything from making mother sauces and braising rabbit, to post secondary training for his students that wished to pursue it. It was and is still not your average high school cafeteria.

These days the program teaches along the same lines and has even added its own garden and greenhouse.

“It’s rare to be able to delve into the culinary world in a setting like this, and I’m grateful to have been given that opportunity.”

28/02/2023

This week we have a fun one.

Amy Ayer is well known around the Vancouver Island food scene. Today you can find her scooping up inventive flavors of ice cream at 49 Below Ice Cream in Oak Bay, many of which she’s created or inspired herself. Our personal favourites are her Candycap Mushroom Ice Cream (think earthy maple-cinnamon deliciousness) and Lemon Graham Cracker - made with lemon curd they spin in house. If you haven’t been, you should go. Some insanely talented Mensches are playing in their kitchen on the daily!

If you didn’t know Amy was at 49 below, you probably thought she was working for one of the dozens of island restaurants or food producers that she promotes daily. Amy’s instagram handle is Amy.is.busy and it’s no joke! She works really hard to support the culinary scene on Vancouver Island, and does so with incredible charm. This lady eats well, and she’ll be sure to let you know where she’s dining, and the special attributes that make that spot a happening place. Amy shares her positive experiences and connections with the food community to grow local support, and lift small businesses up.

Amy is a mensch that isn’t afraid to share her joy with the world. Her spirit is infectious and we are grateful for all the ways she celebrates and contributes to the happening food scene in our island community.

Amy Ayers - what a MENSCH!

22/02/2023

🌱 We might be getting a cold snap, but have no fear, spring is near! 🌱

Thinking about all the delicious firsts of the season always gets us so excited at this time of year.

21/02/2023

Rebecca and George Papadopoulos are stewards of their land. Since purchasing Keating Farm in 2014, they’ve transformed its derelict outbuildings into beautiful suites and its shelters for their farm animals. The farmhouse, which had been degrading with time is now a stunning year round event venue. And orchards that had been left alone for decades are producing some of the most amazing heirloom fruits and nuts you can find in our area with the help of the farms pollinators that produce honey. Its pastures are now home to heritage breeds of chickens and turkeys, sheep and pigs.

Everything the Papadopoulos’ do on their land are with its needs in mind. They move their animals often, leaving them in pastures just long enough to nourish its soil so that it can continue producing feed later on in the season and so that it continues to have diverse biodiversity. This is a principle of regenerative animal husbandry. It’s this holistic approach to farming that not only makes sense from an environmental perspective, but also produces superior meat quality in their animals. Beyond their amazing meat, their delicious honey, and their gorgeous venue, I consider Rebecca and George to be great friends. They work damn hard and they do it all with a smile.

George and Rebecca…two fine Mensches in the Cowichan Valley!

14/02/2023

Describing Chelsea and Bryan from Paper Heart Films as videographers would be akin to describing Julia Rylands (of Muddy Feet Farm) as a pig farmer. While true, it doesn’t come close to describing their impact. Like Julia, this duo chooses to lead with kindness.

Our first interaction with Chelsea and Bryan was during the peak of Covid-19. They used their expertise and platform to bring 90 vendors from the event industry together to share the message that while we were shut down, we weren’t down and out. That was meaningful for us as we went from gearing up to meet some lofty goals we set at the end of 2019, to slinging frozen food from our mobile kitchen outside our chefs home.

Our next meaningful interaction came with those days firmly behind us when Chelsea and Bryan invited us to take part in they’re new project sustainablywedvi. A docu-series about curating events with sustainability as a focus, and about meaningful change towards sustainability in our industry and as a whole. You can see us alongside two of our absolute favourite vendors, Keating Farm and Twist of Fate Craft Cocktails in episode 3 of SustainablyWed.

Chelsea and Bryan use their experience to create meaningful impact, and promote others who strive for the same. We are grateful that they make these efforts because they inspire us to do the same. And for this we can only say….

Chelsea and Bryan….what a MENSCH!!!

11/02/2023

Want to work with us? We have events up and down Vancouver Island this year and are starting our search for event chefs to fill our roster.

We have a reputation for serving high quality fare while making it look easy. Our events are well organized, fun, and about as low stress as you can get in the food industry! 100% of the gratuities from our events are divided equally between the chefs and servers working the event.

Connect with our chef to learn more at [email protected]

Photo credit to :)

07/02/2023

It's MENSCH Monday!

Mensch /men(t)SH/ : noun a person of integrity and honour.

We know that our new name is unfamiliar for a lot of people. We embrace the opportunity that this gives us to tell our story, and the story of some people that we admire. So in that spirit....

Internet, Meet the Cowichan Valley's matriarch of swine, Julia Rylands of Muddy Feet Farm.

Julia raises her Tamworth and Berkshire pigs with a gentle and thoughtful nature and with consideration for what her animals need to live happy and healthy lives. A visit to her farm is more or less a walk through the woods. Her weaners are trained on electric fencing and moved throughout wooded areas where they root for insects and forage on wind fallen fruit amongst other snacks.
Her sows and piglets stay close to home when they're not resting in spacious shelters. They're the first animals you meet and will more than likely be napping under a tree or pestering mom for milk.
All this to say, Julia cares about what she does and puts the wellbeing of her animals above all. She has garnered respect from both farmer and chef, as you can find her pigs on farms all over the Cowichan Valley and in the kitchens of chefs, including ours. She wields her reputation to advocate for organizations like and Cow-Op whose mandates are to promote food security and environmental sustainability within our region.
We view Julia as a force for good and for change, and enthusiastically declare...

Julia...what a MENSCH!

05/02/2023

We were fortunate enough to have Design House on board for our launch party. And while Sara's talent and creativity were on full display, my personal favourite moment was during breakdown. She smiled widely while holding a small produce bag of waste, not even half full.

Unveiled along with our new brand was our concept to take our own to the next level. Preceding our new offerings, we break down some of the challenges that come with feeding larger parties, and our new approach to structuring menus for our client's that want to keep their event as low impact as possible.

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http://www.menschkitchen.ca/

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We had fun yesterday at Emandare Vineyard . #eatllocal #eatseasonal #farmtotablecatering #staffparty #christmasparty #eatcowichan #foodandwine

Marinated Asparagus and Quick Pickled Radish Recipe

Chef Dan's Roasted Hazelnut + Smoked Cheddar Tart Shell Recipe

Chef Dan's Famous Smoked Potato Mash!

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Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Videos

Marinated Asparagus and Quick Pickled Radish Recipe

Chef Dan's Roasted Hazelnut + Smoked Cheddar Tart Shell Recipe

Chef Dan's Famous Smoked Potato Mash!

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