VISA Infinite Dining Series Experience – Averill Creek

Star chefs collide at Averill Creek
for an epic collaboration on the Island.

In Vancouver Island’s beautiful Cowichan Valley, star chefs Kristian Eligh and Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson prepare an unforgettable feast paired with the elegant wines of Averill Creek.

WELCOME TO THE VISA INFINITE DINING SERIES, SUMMER 2024

In summer, the days are long and lazy and so are the best meals, especially when they take you out of the city and into wine country where the finest restaurants are serving up their freshest flavours just for you. Click here to explore more delicious dining events with the Visa Infinite Dining Series.

ABOUT THIS VISA INFINITE DINING SERIES IN-PERSON EXPERIENCE 

Two of British Columbia’s finest, most award-winning chefs join forces at the beautiful Averill Creek Vineyards for a rare Visa Infinite Dining Experience in Vancouver Island wine country. The Cowichan Valley is different: It’s smaller, more intimate, and swept by the ocean breezes of Canada’s only Maritime-Mediterranean wine region. It’s the perfect setting for Chef Kristian Eligh of Victoria’s sizzling hot Marilena Café & Raw Bar, which was just named the country’s top new restaurant by Canada’s 100 Best. He’s joined by another talented Canada’s 100 Best alumni, Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson of Vancouver’s Michelin-starred Published on Main. These two culinary stars will craft an unforgettable feast, perfectly paired with winemaker Brent Rowland’s elegantly perfumed low-intervention wines.

ABOUT AVERILL CREEK VINEYARD 

Located on the slopes of Mount Prevost on Vancouver Island and surrounded by old- growth forest, Averill Creek’s beautiful contemporary facility offers stunning views over the bucolic Cowichan Valley. From its 30 acres of regeneratively farmed vines, winemaker Brent Rowland crafts elegant Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, and other cool- climate varieties, taking a low-intervention approach to preserve the grapes’ texture, perfume, and refreshing quality.

ABOUT KRISTIAN ELIGH AND MARILENA 

When Marilena Café + Raw Bar finally opened in 2023, the Toptable Group’s first Victoria restaurant had been under scaffolding for four long years. But it’s been worth the wait: Canada’s 100 Best has crowned Marilena the country’s best new restaurant and No. 27 overall, crediting Executive Chef (and hometown hero) Kristian Eligh for “his prodigious skillset and razor-sharp instincts in the kitchen.” Those skills were well-honed at world- renowned Michelin-starred restaurants including Jean George in NYC, The French Laundry in Napa, and Blackbird in Chicago. Most recently, he spent six years as Culinary Director for Vancouver-based Hawksworth Restaurant Group, during which Vancouver magazine twice named him Chef of the Year.

ABOUT GUS STIEFFENHOFER-BRANDSON AND PUBLISHED 

The Executive Chef of Published on Main began his career in his hometown of Winnipeg before heading to Germany and staging at Michelin-starred restaurants. After stints at Copenhagen’s famed Noma and Vancouver’s Hawksworth Restaurant, in December 2019, Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson opened Published, where he brings his passion for Nordic-style foraged and fermented foods to the table. He has since refined every aspect of operations from service to drinks to the multi-course tasting format. In 2022, Canada’s 100 Best named Published the country’s best restaurant, the first in Vancouver ever to take the top spot, unseating Toronto’s Alo after four years. It currently sits at No. 7, and dazzles with a Michelin star.

Book Averill Creek Vineyard

Note: This event may have communal seating. Any changes to this event will be communicated at least 7 days prior to the event. Events run approximately 3-4 hours and venues are not suitable for young children. Please note that the food described above is a representation of the restaurant’s style of cuisine; actual dishes on the menu may differ based on seasonality and availability.