brad boisart

Bradford is a rising star in the Vancouver Island chef community.  His restaurant, Amusé Bistro located in Shawnigan Lake, has amassed a mountain of media accolades from prestigious outlets such as Eat Magazine, Zagat and National Geographic Traveller.  Amusé also received a 5 star review from Times Colonist’s food critic Pam Grant and won 2nd place in the ‘Best of Vancouver Island’ in the 20th Annual Vancouver Island Restaurant Awards.

Bradford’s culinary career started at the age of ten in his hometown of Warwick, Rhode Island, when he started a catering business.  As an adolescent he cooked for dignitaries and athletes at the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta Georgia.   Bradford went on to complete an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts and a bachelor degree in Restaurant Management at the esteemed Culinary Institute of America in New York City.

Bradford’s journey eventually led him to Vancouver Island, where he cooked in top notch kitchens like the Aerie resort and the Hotel Grand Pacific.  During this time he polished his chef skills in culinary competitions such as the Bocuse d’Or USA Concours.  He was also featured in several newspapers and magazines such as Forbes, Newsweek, USA Today, Travel, Epicure Magazine and Take Five Magazine and has made regular local television appearances.

Despite his growing celebrity, Brad’s passion continues to be grounded at Amusé Bistro, which he owns with his wife Leah. Here Brad combines his zeal for cooking with a deep-rooted passion for the environment and sustainable food production.  At Amusé, Bradford uses locally sourced ingredients and organic produce to create French inspired dishes. Currently Bradford and Leah are in the process of planting a garden on the property of Amusé to further enrich their customer’s dining experience.