inspiredCHEFS
Catering with the all-stars C H E F N IC HOL A S WA T E R S , T O Q U E C A T E R I N G BY SEAN MCINTYRE PHOTOS BY DON DENTON
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HETHER THEY’RE ORCHESTRATING a ninecourse traditional Chinese banquet or preparing an intimate anniversary dinner for two, chef Nicholas Waters and the crew at Toque Catering begin each meal with a common ritual. “Every one of us, before we leave for an event, we shake hands and say ‘have a great service,’” Waters says. He and 14 employees, six of whom are executive chefs, have been shaking each other’s hands a lot lately. Earlier this summer, 16
for example, the team catered a graduation dinner for 450 faculty and students at the Canadian College of Performing Arts along with no fewer than five weddings spread between the Cowichan Valley, Victoria and Whistler. All in a single weekend. Launched in 2013, Toque Catering is the culmination of more than two decades of Waters’ inspiring work in kitchens large and small, urban and remote. He began, like many teenagers, working at chain restaurants around Victoria. A passion for culinary arts led him to enrol in the cooking program at