Derek Uhlemann’s career started in Vancouver Island’s vibrant culinary community before being drawn to the wine and agriculture of the south Okanagan Valley. His stops along the way included BC coastal fly-in fishing lodges, boutique wineries, Albanian mining camps, après ski bars, and creating Piggy’s BarBQ in Penticton BC. Derek has worked with restaurants, wineries, farmers, and food artisans throughout British Columbia as an advocate for certified organic, minimal intervention, and restorative agriculture. Derek is the Outreach Coordinator for Salmon Safe British Columbia a farm certification program that works with West Coast farmers, developers and other environmentally innovative landowners to reduce watershed impacts through rigorous third party verified certification.

Recent work includes Covert Farms Family Estate Winery, Fairview Cellars and the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association as their culinary coordinator for the signature events including “Pig Out” and “The Half Corked Marathon” Tourism Canada’s 2017 event of the year. Derek has been featured in the TV productions “The Amazing Race Canada”, “Ventures in Wine Country”, “BBC Wild Table”, “The Four Senses CBC,” “Travel Channel China” and “Global News” Vancouver.

Derek family hails from Grand Junction and Denver Colorado where he grew up around the rich ecology of Colorado and British Columbia. Derek lives in Okanagan Falls British with his wife Sunnie and daughter Ruby Mae, and they operate Oliver Eats ltd. a Culinary workshop and Grocery Delicatessen. Oliver Eats Ltd. believes that connecting people through food creates better community. Chef Derek’s mission is to expand the local food economy by supporting its producers. Their shared culinary workshop offers both memberships in the kitchen incubator or individual work station rental in their workshop kitchen. Chef Derek’s mission is to share the Pastrami sandwich with the world and create conversation around community and food.