Become a Certified Experience

Who Can Be Certified

All food service establishments, culinary retail shops, tour operators and specialty culinary tourism experiences (for example, destination cooking classes) are eligible for nomination and certification.

All nominated establishments are evaluated by the society’s Selection Committee against a set of ten core criteria. Other products such as culinary events and BC wineries are listed and promoted based on professional and public recommendation.

The Nomination Process

Eligible establishments are sourced and nominated for certification by the Culinary Tourism BC Selection Committee multiple times each year.

Establishments seeking nomination may submit a self-nomination form.  All self-nomination forms are submitted to the society’s certification selection committee for review and consideration. Customer nominations are also accepted.

Nominate Now

Nominate a restaurant:
Online Nomination Form | Download PDF form

Nominate a specialty experience (culinary tours, specialty retail & public farms):
Online Nomination Form | Download PDF form

Please ensure that all fields on your nomination form have been completed and that your application package includes all requested materials before mailing to Culinary Tourism BC.

There is no charge for nominating your establishment for certification.

For help completing your certification nomination form, please contact us anytime at 604-575-4944.

Certification Process

Selection Committee Nomination

All establishments nominated by the Culinary Tourism BC Selection Committee have clearly met and/or exceeded the society’s ten core criteria and are eligible for immediate certification.  Establishments nominated by the committee receive a letter inviting them to participate in the program.

Consumers or establishments who submit seflnomination forms are evaluated by the Culinary Tourism BC Selection Committee every six months.  Each application is balanced against the society’s ten core certification criteria.  Self nominated establishments may be required to pay a one time $200 visitation fee. During visitations, a member of the Culinary Tourism BC selection committee will visit the establishment to evaluate it, in person, against the society’s ten core criteria.  

Establishments who meet the society’s certification criteria are then invited by the selection committee to participate in the Culinary Tourism BC certification destinations program.   

Applicants whose nomination forms and/or onsite evaluates that do not clearly demonstrate compliance with the society’s ten core certification criteria will be encouraged to re-apply once all criteria defaults have been amended.  BCCTS is happy to assist all non-certified establishments prepare for certification.

Selection Committee

The BC Culinary Tourism Selection Committee is an ever expanding panel of respected and seasoned industry professionals from regions across British Columbia.  The committee is a well rounded in its representation of British Columbia’s restaurant, foodservice, agriculture, wine and tourism industries.

Current selection committee representatives include:

Bernard Casavant, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
Christine Coletta, Coletta Consultants
Deirdre Campbell, Tartan Public Relations
Don Monsour, BC Culinary Tourism Society, Chair
Donna Anaka, BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
Geoffrey Howes, BC Culinary Tourism Society, First Vice Chair
John Bishop, Bishop’s Restaurant
Tim Pawsey, Free Lance Journalist and Food Critic

Guest representatives are invited to sit on the selection committee as needed.  

The Culinary Tourism BC Selection Committee meets a minimum of once every six months in Fall and Spring each year.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Culinary Tourism BC Selection Committee, please contact Geoffrey Howes, Culinary Tourism BC Certification Chair at ghowes@canadatoseki.com.

Submission Deadlines

Certification nominations are accepted year round, but are only reviewed at certain times by the society’s selection committee.  Submission deadlines for upcoming review panels will be posted below regularly.

Next Selection Committee Review Deadline: April 15th, 2009