Community Workshop Feature: Valentine Kitamura, Tartine and Maple
Photo Credits: CTV Morning Live
What is your name and what do you do?
My name is Valentine Kitamura and I am the owner of Tartine and Maple.
Where are you from originally?
I am from the Champagne Region in France, but I’ve been in Canada for the last 16 years.
What workshops have you offered to teach through the Farm workshop series and what are some workshops you’d love to do in the future?
I teach a lot of baking classes at the UBC Farm like advanced and beginner Choux Pastry workshops, making sourdough breads, brioche, and pies. I also do a few non-baking classes like canning and preserving workshops.
I think the workshop I get asked to do the most is the croissant-making workshops, but I have yet to figure out how to squeeze a multi-day workshop into the three hour workshop slots I do. It’s definitely a cool one to do, but hard given the circumstances. Another idea I’ve had that would be interesting is a seasonal three-course workshop series where I would work with the produce from the Farm to make deliciously seasonal and local meals.
How long have you been teaching workshops?
I’ve been teaching workshops officially for about five years. That said, I’ve been teaching classes ever since I was in France, so it feels like forever ago that I started.
How did you originally become interested in your area(s) of expertise?
I started in the kitchen very young for my dad’s catering company. I learned a lot and it was fun, but I knew early on that I didn’t want to take over his business. So, I decided to study hotel management to explore the different possibilities in the cooking business. I worked in hotel management after that in four different countries, so I didn’t start my career in the kitchen. Eventually, however, after being around food so much, I realized that I wanted to cook as a career. I am mostly a self taught cook, I just love experimenting and cooking for others.
I started cooking and teaching people for fun about 10 years ago, alongside my job. While doing these classes, I had a lot of fun being surrounded by people who liked cooking and were receptive to my cooking and teaching style. I think that really helped me realize I made the right decision going into teaching people cooking. So I quit my job and suits, and I’ve been teaching and cooking as my primary occupation now for 5 years!
I started cooking and teaching people after then. When I started working, I had a lot of fun being surrounded by a lot of people who liked cooking and people were receptive to my cooking and teaching style. I think that really helped me realize I made the right decision going into cooking, so I’ve been doing it ever since.What is one hobby or activity that you enjoy doing in your free time?
I just like doing nothing, if possible. It seems like mission impossible because my husband and I have a house, kids, and my business. If I have the time, I’ll usually grab a book and go outside to read a book for as long as I can. I also like gardening and hiking with the kids and spending as much time outside as possible – not huge on sports, but I think being outside is good.
What do you enjoy most about being part of the Farm workshop series?
I like being at the Farm because it is very casual. Everyone comes in and they’re there to enjoy the workshop, have fun conversations about cooking, and just learn. It’s not like a cooking school where everyone is asking a million questions about the technicalities of each dish. I find that so unnecessary sometimes. At the Farm, you come and teach in the middle of nature – it’s very relaxing and different in a good way.