To: Remaining Members City of Vancouver Food Selection Panel
From: Stephen Quinn
Dba: Steve's Totally Organic, Bio-dynamic, Sustainable, Fair Trade, Hyperlocal Barbecued Backyard Chickens 'n' Things
Re: Application for Food Cart
cc: Deputy city manager Sadhu Johnston; Clr. Heather Deal
Please find attached an application to operate a food cart for the 2011-2012 calendar year.
I am aware the city will announce the 19 successful applicants this Monday, April 4.
I'm hoping that, given the merits of my proposal, you will accept this application post-deadline.
1. Concept: As my company name suggests, I will be selling primarily barbecued chicken, raised locally in the backyards of Vancouver. This poultry will be 100 per cent certified fair trade, organic and bio-dynamic.
Chickens will be humanely caged in a display portion of the cart (please see attached schematic) with access to fresh air, running water and sunshine, then slaughtered, plucked and gutted on site by hand using only Foodsafe-certified union labour.
Chicken parts will be grilled on an aluminum-free cast iron grill using charcoal briquettes made locally from windfall timber harvested from Stanley Park.
Cooked chicken will be presented on a disposable, biodegradable bamboo mat.
Condiments to include a variety of organic chutneys handcrafted at a local sustainable quince farm and chutney co-operative.
A variety of high fibre and gluten-free side dishes or "fixin's" will also be offered with all ingredients to be local, organic and sustainable bio-dynamic.
2. Previous street-food vending experience: 2009 to 2010 - Operated Steve's Organic Goat-Milk Shakes 'n' Things.
3. Unit readiness/schematic: Unit has undergone preliminary design process and meets city specifications for dimensions, materials, water storage, sanitation and refrigeration. Still awaiting Vancouver Coastal Health approval for slaughtering and gutting of birds on site (a minor hurdle, I've been assured). All supporting documentation attached.
4. Commissary identified: No commissary necessary because of "360 live-bird to mat" concept.
5. Menu and ingredients:
Quarter chicken with chutney and two fixin's $27.99
Half chicken with chutney and three fixin's $35.99
Whole chicken with chutney and all the fixin's $54.99
Fixin's:
Beetroot and parsnip mash
Quinoa and oak bark slaw
Gluten-free flax falls
Dandelion and stinging nettle salad with hemp vinaigrette
Celiac "surprise of the day"
Beverages:
Happy Planet Extreme Green
Happy Planet Abundant C
Happy Planet Righteous Raspberry
Pristine, crystal clear, delicious, critically acclaimed Vancouver local water (must supply own container)
6. Nutrition: All meals will meet or exceed Canada Food Guide standards for daily servings of protein, vegetables, grains and fibre. Portions to be adjusted according to body-mass index of patrons. (This is a free on-site service.)
7. Diversity/innovation: This will be the only food cart of its kind in North America. It will be a welcome addition to Vancouver's street-food scene, and will, no doubt, garner positive international media attention.
8. Waste disposal: Bamboo mats and all feathers to be rinsed and donated to the Downtown Eastside Craft Co-operative. Chicken entrails to be stuffed with chamomile blossoms and buried to assist local, biodynamic backyard farmers.
9. Conclusion/further comments
While the "display-to-dinner" food cart has not been attempted locally (outside the realm of seafood), Vancouver is cosmopolitan enough not only to accept this exciting new concept, but to embrace it. This will further the city's goal of becoming the greenest in the world, will be a working example of food sustainability and will help educate young people about where our food comes from. It will also employ local farmers and allow citizens to dispose of unwanted backyard chickens, thereby freeing up space in the homeless chicken shelter.
Yes, the prices may be slightly higher than what other street-food vendors are offering, but I'm confident both Vancouverites and visitors to our city will be willing to pay more for quality, local and sustainable ingredients. Not to mention the thrilling experience of choosing your own chicken, live, from the cage.
I look forward to the approval of this application and to a prominent location on the city's street-food map.
Thank you.
If you require any addition information, you may contact me:
Stephen Quinn is the host of On the Coast on CBC Radio One in Vancouver, 690 AM and 88.1 FM. Stephen.Quinn@cbc.ca