Few chefs in Canada are as closely associated with local, organic and sustainable cooking as Andrea Carlson. Hailed the “High Priestess of Pacific Northwest Cuisine” by enRoute Magazine, she is the creative visionary behind Vancouver’s acclaimed Burdock & Co, Harvest Community Foods (a neighbourhood grocery and noodle café) and Bar Gobo (a hi-fi wine bar). Harvest and Bar Gobo are both located in Chinatown.

In 2022, Carlson made history by becoming the first female chef-owner in Canada to earn a Michelin star. Four years later, Burdock has successfully retained its star and remains the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Canada led by a female chef.

Born and raised in British Columbia, she studied at Dubrulle Culinary Arts before training in organic farming and landscape design. Her early work at pioneering restaurants such as C Restaurant and Sooke Harbour House shaped her farm-to-table ethos. She later created Canada’s first 100-mile tasting menu at Raincity Grill and served as executive chef at Bishop’s. At Burdock & Co, she is celebrated for her wildly innovative
moon-inspired tasting menus that change every two months, and for her unwavering commitment to local producers, natural wines, and regenerative food systems.