Trucking Along in a Pandemic-Bubbled PEI

Born and raised in Nova Scotia with a farm-to-table upbringing, Chef Lucy Morrow made a post-secondary switch from studying math to training at the Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown, PEI.

Three years later, Morrow was Prince Edward Island’s runner-up for PEI Chic Chef of the Year. She continued to make her presence known with appearances in the Garland International Chef’s Competition, the Fortune 500 Forum, the Taste Our Island Awards and many other opportunities.

In 2020, as executive chef at Terre Rouge, she became the first PEI-based contestant to compete on Top Chef Canada, finishing in 2^nd place. Soon after filming, everything changed as the effects of the global pandemic hit her home island.

We caught up with Chef Morrow to find out more about pandemic work and life in PEI.

How has the pandemic impacted your post-Top Chef career so far?

When the pandemic hit, I was planning a move to Newfoundland. That completely fell through. Then, I was supposed to be a co-chef at a restaurant in PEI called The Pearl and that didn't end up opening because of the pandemic. 

I wasn't sure where to start or what to do because my options were limited. I couldn't move anywhere, being at the height of the pandemic, and nobody was hiring. People were just closing their doors for the season.

Then, I got wind of Terry Nabuurs and his operation, Terry’s Berries. I reached out because he was still looking for people and I thought it would be a fun work opportunity. He said if I was interested in running the food truck for the summer, I could hop on board, so I started in April.

What kind of operational changes did the food truck undergo with PEI entering Phase 3 at the time?

The changes we implemented at the time are still in effect today. When we're doing our temperature logs for our fridges, hot holdings and freezers, we also confirm that we have no fevers, symptoms or exposure outside of the Atlantic bubble. 

We continue to wear masks in the truck because of its size, and we’re still doing lots of sanitizing as well.

Did the menu offerings of Terry’s Berries have to change?

Our menu didn't change so much, but every now and again, finding the right kind of food containers was a challenge due to the influx in takeout.

Between the three trucks, we helped each other out if someone was short on supplies. We also used two different providers to help balance things out. We’d pre-order massive cases at a time from whoever had the availability.

How have your relationships with food suppliers changed given the new realities of the foodservice industry?

I feel like the bond between chefs, operators and local suppliers got a lot stronger, especially here in PEI. People were more motivated to buy locally. Our meat shops, for example, have been so busy. It's been really nice to see everyone willing to go out of their way to support local because they've had struggles ordering as well. We want to help each other out as much as possible.

What’s one piece of advice for your fellow chefs navigating the new normal of the foodservice industry?

Roll with the punches, take the opportunities when they come to you, keep your head down and work hard.

How would you like to see the restaurant industry evolve and benefit from the challenges endured during the pandemic?

I think we need to return to what food relationships used to mean to us years ago, when people respected where their produce came from a little more.

I think this pandemic really pushed people to look locally for things because nothing else was coming across the bridge or being flown in. Everyone started relying heavily on their local farmers again, and they liked that sense of community and understanding.