Stacy Johnston and Minette Lotz, chefs of the Naramata Inn (Naramata, BC), are interviewed by NAC’s Michael Gauthier on how they decided to move out west from Saskatchewan, foraging their local area for ingredients, and how seasonality is the inspiration for each new menu.
Chef Johnston and Lotz were the Resident Chef at the National Arts Centre from June to September 2022.
Chef Minette Lotz’s passion is for terroir-driven and locally-sourced ingredients. An avid forager, Minette finds her inspiration from exploring her surroundings and discovering new flavour combinations. A firm believer in what grows together, goes together, Minette creates dishes that are true to the exact time, place, and season they are created in.
Chef Stacy Johnston believes that the ingredients make the dish. Growing up on her grandparents’ homestead ingrained in Stacy a deep appreciation for excellent farming practices. Focusing on her food system ‘from the ground up’, Stacy strives to create food that tells the story of the ingredients, their farmers, and the season.
In 2013, Minette and Stacy met in the kitchen. Their combined passion saw them cooking across western Canada, including working with Oceanwise and opening farm-to-table restaurants.
In 2020, Minette and Stacy helped open the Naramata Inn, a terroir-driven dining experience in the heart of BC’s Okanagan Valley.
Michael Gauthier has worked in the arts and hospitality industries for 35 years, his experiences having taken him from his native Sudbury to Montreal to the Okanagan Valley to Ottawa. A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Michael wrote children’s theatre for 10 years before embarking on a career as an administrator and entrepreneur. He has been a restaurateur (Le Plateau Bistro, ranked #1 on Trip Advisor for the region of Kelowna), the Executive Director of a French-language cultural centre and, for the National Arts Centre, Restaurant Manager, Guest Service and Events Manager, and now House Manager.
Michael has been published three times in French and once in English. He is thrilled to work in an environment that combines his passion for customer service with his interest in the arts.