Hybrid Harvest
Vancouver chef hauls in a sustainable cargo hauler
It’s been awhile since Ned Bell has been this excited about his new set of wheels. “The last time was when I was 16, 17 and owned a 1974 Volkswagen Beetle,” the renowned Vancouver chef said earlier this week.
Which is to say the two cars are as different as chalk and cheese.
The Executive Head Chef of Four Seasons Vancouver took delivery of a 2015 Toyota Prius V a couple of weeks ago, a hybrid vehicle that reflects Bell’s passionate commitment to sustainability.
Last year he founded Chefs for Oceans with a mission to “engage his peers, chefs, in communities, regions and provinces coast to coast to coast through education and awareness for the future of sustainable seafood.”
To promote the movement, the avid cyclist rode his bike 8,700 kilometres across the country and hosted two-dozen events with like-minded chefs promoting healthy lakes, oceans and rivers.
The 10-week odyssey also raised money for the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program, SeaChoice, and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.
“For the last decade, I’ve been focusing on how can we be more aware and sustainable with the food we consume and in the food we feed our families and each other,” the chef explained.
When it came to a vehicle other than his bike, the father of two sons had relied on a Toyota RAV4 for the past eight years, a small SUV that suited not only his family’s active lifestyle but also as transport for the produce and food stuffs he picks up at farmer’s markets and fisherman’s markets throughout Metro Vancouver.
But with his commitment to the environment, hybrids have been on his radar for some time, and with another son due in September, he figured the time was right to trade the RAV4 in for a Prius.
Of the four models in the Prius family, the station wagon-like V was the obvious choice. And he opted for the fully loaded one.
“It’s got all the bells and whistles; it’s pretty spectacular,” he said, noting it has leather, a double sunroof and all sorts of technology.
“In my opinion I am driving a luxury car.”
Those creature comfort accoutrements aside, the driving characteristics of the V have made an impression.
“I love driving it, it’s a great ride and at the end of the day it makes you feel good about driving it,” he said, adding that he’s still not quite used to the fact that you can’t really tell when it’s switched on or not. “It’s just so incredibly silent. It’s a bit magical.”
It’s also ticked all the boxes in terms of cargo space.
“I can get my bike in the back, and I do truck a lot of food stuffs around so I really need the space in the back, and I don’t foresee any challenges with that,” he observed. “It’s a very well-designed vehicle.”
While he’ll continue to use his bike for his daily commute to work at least a couple of times a week, he says when he does drive now he’ll do so with a feeling of a diminished footprint.
“It’s great to be in a vehicle that is lessening the environmental impact on our oceans, albeit small but it’s the baby steps that make the difference,” he noted. “The health of our oceans is directly related to the use of fossil fuels.”
The father to a five- and 16-yearold also says having a hybrid in the driveway sends a good message to the next generation.
“My young son thinks it awesome,” he said.
“His whole life he’s known me as someone very concerned about energy consumption, the environment and the health of our oceans so he thinks (the hybrid technology) is really cool.
“And it’s a pretty great looking vehicle, and the double sunroof doesn’t hurt in the coolness department.”
The only question that remains considering what Chef will be hauling around from our ocean’s harvest, is how long will that new car smell remain?