About Us

Kim 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’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 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.

We 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.

Lisa 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.

Janine is a “Wall of Chefs” winner and accomplished private chef who is passionate about sourcing local. Guests on our Calgary Farmers’ Market tours will love the cooking tips she’ll share for the bounty of Alberta ingredients they’ll find there.

Cindy 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.

Simone 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.

Edmonton Food Tours leader, Howard, is a retired high school teacher, passionate cook, and traveller who loves exploring all things Mediterranean. His favourite countries are Turkey, Italy and Greece.

Drew 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.

Reese is an Edmontonian.  She has a deep love for exploring Alberta, and especially enjoys spending time in the Rockies. Having grown up with chefs in her family, she feels VERY at home in restaurants and is very proud to showcase Alberta’s incredible ingredients. Recent travels have taken her to Costa Rica and Africa but she’s always thrilled to showcase the local food on our tours.

Tracy is a seasoned food, travel, and lifestyle writer based in Edmonton. Her “Curious Canada” newsletter is a weekly-ish dispatch delivered to your in-box and filled with Canadian travel, food, culture and creators you should know. Cause, as she says, you’re cool like that!

An 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 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!

Simmi 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.

With 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.

Born 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.

This mountain enthusiast and community advocate is a long-time Banff resident with a deep affection for the people and places that make this town and national park extraordinary. Of all the signature foods of Alberta, Nancy says, “I have a soft spot for Alberta honey (I believe it is a cure for many ailments never mind how good it tastes) and a deep respect for the barley that built this province’s craft beer industry.”