david mincey

David is the chef and owner of the iconic Camille’s Restaurant in Victoria’s Bastion Square.  Now in its twenty-first year of business, Camille’s is recognized as one of Vancouver Island’s finest dining destinations.  The restaurant is known for its excellent international menu created with the exclusive use of local ingredients.  By integrating social and environmentally responsible practices into his operations, David has built a successful restaurant while also supporting local growers and producers.  Camille’s is further noted for its extensive wine cellar, its wine tasting dinners and its formal wine education classes.

David is a leader in the Island local food scene and is committed to improving all aspects of food security.  He is the past-president and co-founder of the Island Chef’s Collaborative (ICC), a non-profit group comprised of progressive chefs dedicated to promoting locally grown, high quality ingredients. The ICC works to improve the local food system by educating non-member chefs, restaurant patrons and the general public on local, sustainable food production issues.

Under his leadership the ICC has launched numerous programs that have improved local food security, and supported environmentally sustainable farming in our region. 

 Two examples are the Farmer Grant Program which provides start-up funds for new farmers and the Bastion Square Farmers Market which brings locally grown produce to downtown Victoria residents.  David also represents the ICC on the steering committee of the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable (CR-FAIR).

In 2010, David was honored to receive a lifetime achievement award from the readers of EAT Magazine for his pioneering work in linking chefs and farmers and his advocacy on behalf of the Island’s farm community. Equally gratifying was the Gold medal awarded to Camille’s for the best “Farm to Table “ cooking on Vancouver Island.