Chef
Dan Hayes
Vancouver Island
Dan Hayes is a classically trained chef, lifelong outdoorsman and the man behind The London Chef. Trained in French cuisine and shaped by years of cooking across Britain and Europe, Dan has worked alongside some of Europe’s leading chefs, in Michelin-starred kitchens, and as an executive chef, food stylist and culinary educator.
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01 · Story
Background.
Dan is also the co-host of Moosemeat & Marmalade, the award-winning food and travel series that took him into communities across Canada and beyond to hunt, fish, forage, cook and explore the connection between food, culture and place. Those experiences shifted his cooking increasingly toward wild, local, and sustainably harvested ingredients—from Vancouver Island blacktail and BC moose to salmon, lingcod, spot prawns, mushrooms, and whatever else the landscape provides.
That makes Dan a natural fit for Wild Table. He combines serious culinary chops with exactly the kind of cooking we love: wild ingredients, open fires, exceptional seafood, big shared tables and meals that are memorable without being precious. Whether cooking at a lodge, beside the water, or deep in the backcountry, Dan knows the best meals start long before anyone sits down to eat.
Experience & Background
Classically trained in French cuisine
Michelin-starred kitchens across Britain and Europe
Founder, The London Chef
Co-host, Moosemeat & Marmalade
Executive chef, food stylist and culinary educator
Culinary Specialties
Wild game — Vancouver Island blacktail and BC moose
West Coast seafood — salmon, lingcod and spot prawns
Foraged mushrooms and wild ingredients
Open-fire and backcountry cooking
Classical French technique
Big shared tables and family-style feasts
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Culinary Philosophy
The best meals start long before anyone sits down to eat — on the water, in the forest, or out on the land. Cook what the landscape gives you, treat it with respect, and don't overcomplicate it. Good food should be generous, shared, and memorable without being precious.
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Meet Dan on a trip.
Dan cooks on Wild Table trips — at the lodge, beside the water or deep in the backcountry — built around wild ingredients, open fires and big shared tables.
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