Vancouver restaurant owner joins Canadian chefs lamenting pandemic jump in food prices
Posted June 18, 2021 4:35 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The chef and owner of a Vancouver restaurant is joining colleagues right across Canada reporting pandemic-related leaps in the cost of many staple ingredients.
Lee Cooper of French-inspired L’Abattoir restaurant in Gastown says increases for items such as canola oil or vanilla paste are passed to the customer — which he says is unfortunate — but says restaurateurs charge what’s necessary to make a living.
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Chefs at numerous restaurants say high international shipping rates, delays, and increases in grain costs have all taken a chunk out of their bottom line and some owners are struggling to find ways to protect consumers from the brunt of higher prices.
A Restaurants Canada survey contacted more than 5,000 Canadian eateries and found food costs are one of the top three challenges owners say they face this year.
