Remote B.C. hunting grounds a perfect hideaway for Forage chef

For the past five years, Vancouver chef ChrisWhittakerhas builtfarm-to-table restaurant Forage into one of the city's most popular and well-respected establishments.

It's also one of the top destinations during Dine Out Vancouver, which kicked off Friday night.

But every October, Whittaker escapes his busy urban surroundings to hunt in an area he calls "basically the middle of nowhere."

The forest service area is three hours north of Prince George, B.C. The closest town, 1.5 hours away, is MacKenzie.

"It's just a spot where there's no cell signal, there's no internet, nothing," he said.

"And as a chef it's just great for me to stop and have everything shut off."

Whittaker, 40,says the wilderness around Northern B.C. reminds him of where he grew up in Thunder Bay, Ont.

"Sometimes you feel like you're putting your foot in a spot that's never had a foot in it," he said. "I just love that feeling about B.C. it's just so vast and big."

For the past five years, Whittaker has been goingup to his hideawayto hunt moose with a group of about five or six guys, often with success.

After the moose has been killed, they usually skin and quarter it and, if it's cold enough out, hang it until they can take it to a butcher in Chilliwack.

His favourite part of the moose to eat is its heart.

"Texturally and just the flavour. It's a very hard working muscle, right so it's got a lot of great flavour and I just love it," he said.

But the annual trip is more than just a getaway for Whittaker. It's also a chance for him to reconnect with his passion: cooking from local food sources.

"I'm pretty proud to be a guy that is from Canada and that can sort of fill the freezer when I need to," he said.

"It's a great feeling to know exactly where your food comes from and why it's so important that I source the way I do from our suppliers."

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