Collection: EatWild by the Sea - An ocean foraging and culinary experience
We are excited to share the richness of our coastal way of life. You are invited on a shellfish foraging and culinary adventure. You will learn how to find, catch, process, and cook shellfish. We will teach you to process and store the catch safely and properly. And most importantly you will learn cooking techniques and enjoy a special meal together.
We are partnering with the chef team from La Quercia Kitchen who have recently opened up a restaurant at the Secret Cove Marina on the Sunshine Coast. The chef team will be leading a “how to“ demonstration for seafood preparation, and they will be offering us a private chef experience to enjoy the bounty that the coast life offers with an Italian-inspired seafood dinner. This will be a luxurious experience. I guarantee it.
Our day starts at 11 AM on the Secret Cove Marina dock, near Halfmoon Bay on the Sunshine Coast. We will be picked up by captain Simon and the OTB Charter vessel and we will begin our adventure. The OTB vessel is a seaworthy vessel that accommodates up to 8 passengers.
We will travel by boat to several locations and demonstrate ethical and sustainable oyster and clam harvesting techniques. Participants will have the opportunity to harvest oysters provided they have a fishing license and the area is open for harvest. We will be mindful to limit our harvest to avoid impacting the abundance in any one area.
We will showcase how we catch Pacific spot prawns. We will talk bout our strategies for where to set traps and the optimal bait for a successful harvest. We will pull several traps and talk about how to process the catch so they can be enjoyed both fresh and frozen at a later date.
We will likely fit in some wildlife viewing and beach combing before we head over to the crabbing grounds where we hope to pull a few traps and find catch Dungeness crab.
On the way, we will provide some light snacks. We encourage people to come having had lunch before 11 o’clock. We will be serving appetizers when we get back to the Secret Cove dock at 4 PM.
Once we are back at the dock, we will clean and process our catch.
Around 5 o’clock we will then head up to "La Bettolina" restaurant where the chef team will talk about cooking techniques and prepare a spectacular meal inspired by the shellfish harvest from the day.
A couple of notes to share. First, it’s crucial for us to show you how to catch fish, but this is not a “how much“ we can catch experience. We will manage our harvest so as to not impact the abundance of the area or impact the habitat.
Also, it’s important to note that health regulations don’t allow us to use the fish we catch for the dinner experience. We will be securing the seafood for the evening from commercial fishermen and seafood farms as per Provincial health regulations.
What you need to bring:
You must bring rubber boots, lots of warm layers, wool hat and gloves, and rain gear.
Getting Here:
This event takes place on the Sunshine Coast near Halfmoon Bay, BC. If you are coming from the Lower Mainland you will need to catch the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale ferry.
While it's possible to travel to the location as a day trip, we encourage you to enjoy the Coast life for the weekend. The nearest accommodation is Rockwater Resort. It's a pretty special spot for a weekend getaway. Also, there are lots of AirBnBs in the area. Message us if you have any questions.
Get your fishing license:
If you want to take home some oysters then you can apply for a 1-day fishing license here. The cost is $5! It is important that we practice a sustainable harvest on this trip, and we will only harvest if we do not impact the abundance of the area.