“The true way to render ourselves happy is to love our work and find in it our pleasure.” - Francoise de Motteville

In a profession traditionally dominated by men, Melissa Craig, the award winning Executive Chef of the Bearfoot Bistro, is a rarity.

Passionate, driven, and undeniably talented Ms. Craig’s career began in the world-renowned Culinary Arts Program of Malaspina University College. Upon graduation she went on to win the National Apprentice Competition. This outstanding achievement was made all the more impressive by the fact that she was the first Canadian female to win this prestigious event and she was only twenty years old at the time. Most recently, Ms. Craig was awarded the coveted gold award at the 2008 Gold Medal Plates’ Canadian Culinary Championships – arguably the most prestigious culinary event in Canada.

After training at Malaspina, Ms. Craig moved to the southern tip of Vancouver Island and finished her apprenticeship at The Sooke Harbour House – an establishment regarded by many as one of the finest restaurants in the world. There she deepened her understanding of West Coast Canadian Cuisine and further refined a style of cooking inspired by the foods of indigenous peoples, the ocean, and the rich soil of the Pacific Northwest

Today Ms. Craig commands a team of twenty in the open and electrifying show kitchen of the Bearfoot Bistro. Her menu is best described as Modern Canadian Cuisine and boasts a unique blend of West Coast and international ingredients, immaculate presentation and simple yet passionate artistry. Her talents define the experience of dining at the Bearfoot Bistro and she invites you to join her next time you visit Whistler.