Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Vancouver's beloved Spot Prawn Festival goes virtual this year

Crustacean fans know the most wonderful time of the year in Vancouver is B.C. spot prawn season
bc-spot-prawns-chefs-table-society-facebook
The Spot Prawn Festival returns in a virtual format for 2021Chefs' Table Society of British Columbia/Facebook

Crustacean fans know the most wonderful time of the year in Vancouver is B.C. spot prawn season, and once again the specialty seafood will be celebrated.

The Spot Prawn Festival is returning with a virtual event for 2021, taking place in the peak of the season.

Hosted by The Chefs’ Table Society of BC (CTS) and Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association (PPFA), this year's Spot Prawn Festival will actually run the full length of the season, which kicks off May 14 and lasts six to eight weeks.

Chefs across the province will be showcasing the versatile and delectable B.C. spot prawn, and there will be bountiful ways to engage with spot prawn pros online: By following CTS social media accounts, foodies across BC and beyond will be connected to spot prawn loving chefs. Followers will learn how to identify spot prawns, how to cook spot prawns, where to purchase, and the sustainability of the fishery so generations are able to enjoy this special treat for years to come. Hashtags to follow or use are #SpotPrawnFestival, #BCSpotPrawns, and #CTSBelong.

There is a main event (besides those platters of spot prawns you'll be tucking into in your own dining room or in your backyard) as part of the fest, however, which is is a hands-on virtual dinner.

Spot prawn lovers will get to cook their own three-course dinner starring B.C. spot prawns. Tutorials will be guided by CTS chef members from three B.C. regions and include Chefs Angus An of Maenam in Vancouver, Ned Bell and Stacy Johnston of Naramata Inn in the Okanagan and Ken Nakano of Aura Waterfront Restaurant + Patio located at Inn at Laurel Point in Victoria, as well as special guest and Order of Canada recipient Chef Robert Clark. The host for the evening will be lover of spot prawns and everything local Lien Yeung of CBC Vancouver.

To take part, ticketed guests will be provided with a grocery list (for four servings), equipment list,  recipes, and a video link to the tutorial for each course. 

This virtual event allows the CTS and PPFA to expand the reach of the Spot Prawn Festival while allowing guests to have fun and stay safe.  Tickets for the online event are $25 and available on Eventbrite

One other way to take part is to order up some sustainable spot prawn and seafood Manhattan chowder made by CTS chefs and sold online via two awesome Metro Vancouver-based businesses, Legends Haul and Organic Ocean. Chowder sales begin May 14. 

Funds raised from the chowder sales and Spot Prawn Festival events will go toward Chefs’ Table Society initiatives such as culinary scholarships and the legacy project CTS Culinary Library.