About Alberta Food Tours
You’ll eat life to the fullest with Alberta Food Tours, Inc. Since 2006, we’ve grown from a one woman operation in Calgary to now include experiences in Calgary, Banff, Canmore and Edmonton, Alberta. We partner with over 100 Alberta businesses and support many regenerative farms and farmers throughout the province.
This is why we say when you eat, engage, and explore with us, you support farmers who create healthy soil and food, you keep our food businesses thriving, and you create rewarding jobs for our team. Soil, food, and people — that’s what we are all about.
Meet the Founder
Karen Anderson
Founder & President of Alberta Food Tours, Inc.
Karen Anderson is founder and President of Alberta Food Tours, Inc. Since 2006, she’s been a pioneer in developing unforgettable food experiences for locals and visitors to Alberta.
Anderson is also a food journalist who has written for radio, television, print and new media including CBC Radio, PBS-TV, Apple Magazine, City Palate, Avenue and WestJet magazines. She’s an IPPY and Taste Canada award-winning cookbook author for A Spicy Touch – Family Favourites from Noorbanu Nimji’s Kitchen with her late Indian cooking mentor Noorbanu Nimji and a World Gourmand travel writing award winner for Food Artisans of Alberta. Her latest book is called Eat Alberta First and that doubles as the credo of our company!
You can follow her personal and travel adventures at Savour It All and watch her build a new South Indian cookbook at Faces Places and Plates.
Meet the AFT team.
When you spend a day with our team, you are not only connecting with local food experts but also Alberta tourism ambassadors with extensive knowledge of fun things to do.
Kim Horton
Operations ManagerKim has a Masters of Arts Degree in Tourism Studies from the University of Alberta. As a tourism professional, she is passionate about creating meaningful experiences for visitors to Alberta. Her career has given her experience in destination development, hospitality management, sales, and relationship building. And, the best part of all, she loves food and travel as much as we do!
Nicole Liboiron-Coles
Community Manager & Tour LeaderNicole’s an avid traveller, photographer, scuba diver and eater. Ask her where the best Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings are in Calgary or anywhere for that matter! We love the creativity and passion Nic brings to everything she does.
Nora Comerford-Seto
Tour Leader & Alberta Cares Packages CoordinatorNora hit Europe with a backpack after college and hasn’t stopped travelling since. China, South Africa, Ireland, Spain with her family of six, India and Morocco on her own for culinary adventures with our founder, Karen Anderson.
Barbara Connolly
Tour LeaderBarb is a great traveller, food lover and cook. She’s been to India, Thailand and Morocco on culinary expeditions with our founder Karen Anderson and when she’s in Alberta she is thrilled to divide her time between Canmore and Calgary.
Lisa Monforton
Tour LeaderLisa is a journalist for media outlets across Canada. She is a heck of a lot of fun too. When not leading our Calgary Food Tours you can find her travelling the globe (usually on her bicycle) or camping in Alberta.
Karen Lewin
Tour LeaderWe are very proud that Karen won the Tourism Calgary White Hatter award for exceptional service – tour leader – in 2017. She is one of the best story tellers we know and also works part time as a cheesemonger extraordinaire.
Simone Demers-Collins
Tour LeaderSimone is a Professional Home Economist who brings great passion for Alberta’s local producers and agriculture to her guiding. She lives near Old Strathcona and guests will truly enjoy the depth of her local knowledge when they tour with her.
Drew Delbaere
Tour LeaderDrew is a born and raised Edmontonian who loves to pair food with art. His perfect evening includes a live theatre performance in Old Strathcona followed by some drinks and nibbles in the neighbourhood.
Nancy Gordy
Tour LeaderCindy Lazarenko
Tour LeaderCindy Lazarenko is an award-winning chef who loves to give the Ukrainian dishes of her heritage a modern spin. She lives in the Highlands neighbourhood of Edmonton and is very active in the community.
Howard Kowalchuk
Tour LeaderEdmonton Food Tours leader, Howard, is a high school teacher, passionate cook, and traveller who loves exploring all things Mediterranean. His favourite countries are Turkey, Italy and Greece.
Tracy Ritchie
Tour LeaderAn ardent food lover originally from Scotland, Tracy now lives in Canmore to feed her passion for the outdoors as well as for great food. Join Tracy for our Eat the Castle tour where her Scottish accent lends charm to the Castle in the Rockies.
Sue Shih
Tour LeaderSue Shih has lived, worked, and played in Banff for over 20 years. She’s a passionate and much sought after back country lodge chef. In winter, you find her snowboarding almost daily and in summer, she’s a fearless Stand Up Paddleboard instructor on the glacier cold lakes of the Canadian Rockies. That’s how Sue Shih rolls!
Maren Doernbrack
Tour LeaderOriginally from Germany, Maren loves the ever-evolving culinary landscape that she’s discovered in Canada. An accomplished wedding planner in Banff and Canmore, her time off is spent in the great outdoors and her backpack is always filled with a stash of local goodness. With her guiding experience primarily gained in Thailand’s marine national parks, Maren is delighted that our Eat the Castle tours won’t trigger any seasickness among the participants!
Beth Durupt
Tour LeaderWith her degree in eco-tourism, Beth has lived in the Bow Valley for over 15 years and worked as both a business owner and tour leader for over 20 years. Her favourite food is Saskatoon berries and each year she marks her calendar for when her favourite U-Pick opens. Beth’s favourite thing about living in the Bow Valley is the access to so many cultural events and the array of activities literally outside her back door.
Amanda Barclay
Tour LeaderBorn in Newcastle, Australia, Amanda’s called Canada home for over 20 years. A passionate traveller her favourite country is Italy and Morocco is her current bucket list trip. A vegetarian for over a decade, root vegetables are her favourite of Alberta’s signature foods. Amanda loves living and working in the Bow Valley because of the sense of community her and having such vast stretches of nature as her playground.
Callandra Caufield
Special ProjectsWith us 2016 to 2023, Callandra shares a wealth of knowledge when we call on her for special projects consulting.
Simmi Latulippe
Tour LeaderSimmi maintains a healthy, active work-life balance living in Canmore for 30 years with her husband, 2 children, and their 17 year old family dog, Oreo. A certified yoga teacher, she grew up in a hotel family and went on to do a business degree in Switzerland and to manage hotels with brands like Fairmont and the Four Seasons. She is excited to share her love of the Rockies and Banff National Park with you.