"Rod Butters is the consummate Canadian-born, Canadian-trained, Canadian chef, the kind that will eventually- and not all that far down the road - create what we'll come to call Canadian cuisine."
- Jurgen Gothe, Food and Arts Critic
- What's your specialty?
The Okanagan Valley is bursting with culinary talent.
Just nibbling on the local cuisine reveals this to be self-evident. And because the valley is fast becoming known as the nation's breadbasket, it's easy to indulge in locally sourced and fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Rod Butters
Butters has shared the kitchen with such admired chefs as Kerry Sear at Four Seasons and Bernard Casavant of Château Whistler, whose similar philosophies of using local farm-fresh products and their own home-grown herbs and vegetables influenced him greatly.
Rod then went on to open the world famous Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino as Chef de Cuisine in 1996. His innovative cuisine and high service standards quickly helped the Inn's Pointe Restaurant attain the internationally recognized Relais & Chateaux designation.
After a year long journey around the world in 2000, he returned home to BC to share his culinary experiences and open Fresco Restaurant & Lounge in Kelowna. As Chef /Proprietor, and the current President of the Okanagan Chefs Association, Rod has been instrumental in promoting the growth of culinary tourism in the Okanagan.
Since opening its doors in June 2001, Fresco Restaurant & Lounge is proud to have been awarded the following prestigious achievements among others:
Four Diamond Award 2002 - 2007: awarded by AAA North America.
Provincial Restaurateur of the Year: Fine Dining 2002/2003 awarded by the BC Restaurant & Food Services Association
The importance of Rod's commitment to establishing regional BC cuisine has earned him international respect. Long before it became "trendy" to serve regional food, Rod has always been committed to this effort. He has always maintained the importance of "giving back" to the industry, and this is attested to by the long list of current successful culinarians that he has mentored and inspired.
