Scott Downey, Chef-Owner of The Butternut Tree, grew up in St. Albert and spent his summers visiting family in New Brunswick. The memory of the butternut tree in his grandmother’s backyard is a powerful symbol of the wonderful ingredients growing all over the Canadian landscape, waiting to be rediscovered.
The tree ring was a source of inspiration drawn from chef Downey’s younger years - the memory of going into the backyard and collecting butternuts from the massive tree in his grandmother's backyard. Chef remembers opening up these little safes to get to the sweet milky treasure inside. This aligns to the idea of Chef Downey’s goal to educate and expose Canadians and the world to the flavours of our nation.