About Us-Experience

HOW WE GOT STARTED

Salishan Catering began in 1993 when the owner Denise Sparrow, a citizen of the Musqueam First Nation, applied her cultural knowledge to packaging and selling salmon. The salmon business flourished and eventually transformed into a catering business when her aunt directed her to set up a food stand at a pow-wow… thus began Salishan Catering.

OUR PASSION

Salishan fuses traditional Musqueam cultural knowledge and foods with modern foods creating a menu unique to the catering industry in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver. Catering and food services have been provided to a wide array of groups from Presidents’ of Universities to international visitors including the DERTOUR Reisaekademie, an annual academy for Germany’s 700 top producing travel agents.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Stand Up Reception: 250 guests – Annual General Meeting: Royal Bank

  • Location: Museum of Anthropology. Guests toured the gallery before and after the reception. The theme was West Coast Style. Salishan Catering was called because of cultural background and location respecting protocol that the event was taking place on Musqueam Nation territory, and that Salishan Catering is Musqueam. There was also two Hosted Bars, appetizers handed out on carved platter, bent boxes and silver platters for an hour. An ice sculpture of an eagle was displayed with a blue background.

 

Buffet-style West Coast Breakfast: 50 guests – Presidents of the Pacific Rim Universities

  • Tables were set with red table clothes, black napkins, fresh flowers. Buffalo sausages, seaweed potatoes, asparagus omelets, Blackberry crepes, coffee, tea, juice. Served in the foyer of the First Nations House of Learning, at the University of British Columbia Campus.

 

Picnic Lunch: 50 guests – Austrian Choir

  • Location: Stanley Park. Smoked Salmon, West Coast Potato Salad, Bannock Bread, Soapberry Punch.

 

Dinner: 400 guests – Civic World Assembly – Salmon BBQ picnic

  • Location: Museum of Anthropology. Held in back of the Museum on the grounds. People were situated under a tent and could move freely on the grounds and witness our First Nations chef-barbecuing salmon on cedar sticks by the fire. A great idea for people wanting to know more about our culture.

 

Concession Stand: 200 guests – Early Music Vancouver, Summer Music Festival

  • Location: First Nations House of Learning. Served Smoked Salmon & Bannock, Cookies, Chicken Wings, Buffalo Sausage, Coffee, Tea, Juice & Water. bullet Six Course Meals: 100 guest – West Coast Ceremonial Wedding Carved Venison, Alder Smoked Salmon, Seaweed & Wild Rice, Sea Asparagus Salad, BBQ Bannock Bread, Wild Berry with Whip Soapberry Dessert.

 

Potlatch Style Dinner: 500 guests – DERTour Reisaekademi First Nations Feast

  • Location: Squamish Nation Recreation Centre. Platters were served with Smoked Salmon, Wild Rice Pilaf, and Winter Vegetable with Sea Asparagus, Tossed Salad, Baked, Fried & Barbecued Bannock Bread, Blackberry Mouse cake. A Hosted bar was set up and waiters looked after the tables when drinks were needed. There was West Coast entertainment from all regions of British Columbia. Gifts were given to each guest. The waiters wore regalia from Haida Gwaii, Musqueam, Mount Curries, and Tlinket (Alaska)