Foodies of the Year 2022: Jeff Guignard, ABLE BC

Jeff Guignard
ABLE BC, Vancouver

Ask any British Columbian who makes their living as a restaurateur: pre-COVID, the province was among the most repressive jurisdictions around when it came to making a buck from selling booze. The sight of a local owner lining up with everyone else to buy stock for their restaurant at full retail price was a pretty common event at liquor store tills across the region. But in the depths of the pandemic came a rare ray of light to the industry: the provincial government agreed to allow restaurants to buy wine, beer and liquor at wholesale prices (just like in every other province in Canada).

Jeff Guignard. Photo by Leila Kwok.

The decision was a lifeline and it came about as a result of years of lobbying efforts from Guignard and his group, the Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC). And not only did the policy change give restaurants a boost during the hard times of the pandemic, it will continue to pay dividends to the still-struggling industry for years to come. And for the rest of us? It also might mean that a bottle of brunello can come to our table at a slightly more reasonable price point.

Food for Thought with Jeff

You can only have one cookbook for the rest of your life: what is it?

The Haven’s Kitchen Cooking School by Alison Cayne uses delicious recipes to teach basic skills and increase your confidence. Great for beginners, or those who have some game but want to improve basic techniques.

Your perfect dessert?

I prefer liquid desserts. What dinner isn’t improved by finishing with an aged tawny port, a rare single malt scotch or an amaro?