FARM FRESH: NEW YEAR BRINGS NEW BEGINNING, DINING EXPERIENCE AND RENEWED SENSE OF PURPOSE AT FARMER’S APPRENTICE

Vancouver Magazine’s 2016 Chef of the Year David Gunawan Reaffirms Commitment To Local Farms, Pastures and Providers at South Granville Farm-to-Table Restaurant

With a renewed energy for 2017, celebrated locavore chef and restaurateur David Gunawan is ushering in a host of exciting changes at Farmer’s Apprentice, the award-winning farm-to-table restaurant he first launched in 2013, including a redesign of the space and new dining formats for nightly dinner and weekend brunch service.

Now open after a series of renovations to the 30-seat South Granville dining space, Gunawan and staff are unveiling a new curated prix-fixe-only dining experience that features nightly set menus and a family-style brunch on Saturdays and Sundays along with a continued, steadfast commitment to providing 100-per-cent organic, sustainable and seasonal fare that places a premium on championing local farms, pastures and providers while reducing food waste and ecological footprints.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for me to not only reconnect with my roots and the hardworking and talented team here at Farmer’s Apprentice, but to reaffirm our commitment to connect our guests with their community and try to inform and inspire them about the vital importance of acting globally by eating locally,” says Gunawan. “We’ve got a fresh look, a renewed sense of purpose and our focus and intention is even stronger than before.”

Beginning at 5:30 p.m. seven nights a week, guests can select either ‘Herbivore’ or ‘Omnivore’ menu options, both offered for $55 per person with optional beverage pairings available for an additional $38. A four-course menu with both herbivore and omnivore options is also available all night long for $40 per person, with optional beverage pairings available for an additional $25.

On weekends from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Farmer’s Apprentice is offering an ever-changing brunch menu where guests can choose from à-la-carte options or a prix-fixe experience, which offers a unique 5-course family-style brunch for $25 per person.

The intimate and inviting restaurant recently reopened its doors after an extensive facelift that saw the installation of rustic floorboards by Enterprise Custom Hardwood Floors, millwork by Milltown Contracting and a series of contemporary and custom light installations by Bocci featuring blown glass and powder-coated steel.

After it was launched in 2013, Farmer’s Apprentice was lauded with a No. 2 ranking on EnRoute Magazine’s annual list of Canada’s Best New Restaurants in 2014, and named Best New Restaurant, Best Casual Restaurant and Restaurant of the Year at the 25th annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards that same year. In 2015, Gunawan went on to open natural wine bar and sister South Granville restaurant Grapes & Soda as well as Royal Dinette in Downtown Vancouver, which was crowned as Best New Restaurant at the 2016 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, while Gunawan was singled out as Chef of the Year.

For more information about Farmer’s Apprentice, go to www.farmersapprentice.ca. To make a reservation for dinner or weekend brunch, call 604-620-2070 or book online.

ABOUT FARMER’S APPRENTICE | The birthplace of innovative, artisanal and sustainable cuisine in Vancouver, Farmer’s Apprentice features ever-changing menus comprised of ingredients delivered fresh daily from local farms, pastures and providers and served in a casual, intellectually stimulating environment that encourages interactions between the chefs and guests. Launched in 2013 by acclaimed locavore chef David Gunawan, Farmer’s Apprentice was ranked No. 2 on EnRoute Magazine’s annual list of Canada’s Best New Restaurants in 2014, and also swept the podium that year with nods for Best New Restaurant, Best Casual Restaurant and Restaurant of the Year at the 25th annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.

ABOUT DAVID GUNAWAN | A celebrated champion of locavores and a staunch proponent of ecological gastronomy, Chef David Gunawan sharpened his skills in acclaimed kitchens in Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver and Belgium before opening Farmer’s Apprentice in 2013 and Grapes & Soda and Royal Dinette in 2015, each setting a new standard for sustainably sourced farm-to-table cuisine. His culinary approach is dictated by whatever fresh produce arrives at his door from local farmers each day. In 2016, Gunawan was named Chef of the Year at the annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.