Chefs

Calum Robertson

Chef

Calum’s passion for the coast and sailing has always been strong, but it truly blossomed when he had the opportunity to work on the Maple Leaf and witness the coast’s beauty firsthand. Although he initially thought his career as a chef would limit his sailing opportunities, the experience on the Maple Leaf changed his perspective entirely.
 
Calum began his culinary journey at VIU Culinary School in Nanaimo. Afterward, he ventured to Montreal to work in restaurants he found respectable and interesting, returning to the west coast after three years. Initially hired as a sous chef on Cascadia, Calum spent his first few shifts working in the shipyard. It was here that he met the wonderful crew of the Maple Leaf, and after a few meals together, they invited him to join them as their chef.
 
What Calum loves most about his job is the ability to share an adventure to some of the most beautiful places he has ever seen, alongside a talented crew and interesting guests. The support and camaraderie of the crew always stand out to him, as does the awe-inspiring experience of the Kitlope trail.
 
Calum lives by the quote: “There are no limits to what you can accomplish, except the limits you place on your own thinking.”

Christopher Picek

Chef

Christopher was born and raised in the Northwest Territories and has lived much of his adult life in Calgary. His journey has also taken him to various places including Ontario, Banff, Vancouver, Scotland, England, and Croatia. Despite many ups and downs, cooking remains his vocation and passion.

Christopher has always had a connection to the coast, spending many summers on the BC coast and in Alaska as a kid. Working here now feels strangely familiar and comforting.

With nearly 25 years of experience in cooking, Christopher’s career has spanned hotels, restaurants, and bakeries across Canada and the UK. He also runs a pop-up restaurant in Calgary when he’s not sailing. In 2022, he transitioned to working at sea and hasn’t looked back since.

What Christopher loves most about his job is the opportunity to get paid to see places that others spend a lot of money to visit. He also enjoys being part of the mariners’ subculture and learning about how ships work.

A standout experience for Christopher was a crew change in Haida Gwaii, where they were dropped off by tender on the beach and walked to the airport. It was a very rustic and memorable experience.

A quote that Christopher lives by is: “You always regret the things you don’t do, more than the things you do.”

Ivan Litland

Chef

Ivan is a 39-year-old chef from Norway and a proud dad. In his spare time, he enjoys wrestling and indulging in his love for reading and writing. His favorite book is Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy.

Ivan doesn’t describe himself as having a passion for the coast, but he deeply appreciates its raw beauty. He finds the coast hard and pure, with a timeless quality that transports him back in time.

Ivan’s culinary career began with a coin toss between carpentry and cooking as he finished high school. He chose cooking and started his career in Norway in 2001. Shortly after earning his degree, he moved to France to refine his skills. Since then, he has worked in three different continents and numerous restaurants.

What Ivan likes most about his job is its challenging nature. He thrives in the demanding environment of the kitchen.

A standout experience for Ivan with Maple Leaf Adventures was crossing from Haida Gwaii to the mainland at sunrise, in excellent company. It was a spectacular moment that stands out in his memory.

Ivan lives by the quote: “Paint the back of the fence as well as you paint the front,” a saying from his grandfather, Erling Litland.

Kaleb King

Chef

Bio to come.

Mara Jernigan

Chef

Mara Jernigan is a Chef, and hospitality professional with over 4 decades of culinary adventures from the west coast of Canada to Italy, Austria and Belize. 

Throughout Mara’s career she’s passionately supported local, seasonal food, from her own farm and cooking school in the Cowichan to organizing Vancouver Island’s Feast of Fields and representing Slow Food Canada.   

Mara grew up sailing on the coast with her family but spent most of her adult years on organic farms. Mara first worked on the sailboat Maple Leaf in 2011 but left to pursue work opportunities in Central America for 6 years. She returned to work with MLA in 2019 with the acquisition of MV Cascadia and over the years has worked on all the MLA ships and participated in the Marine Debris Removal Initiative of 2020. 

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to cook at sea for Maple Leaf!! I love the ships, the remote places I’ve had the chance to visit, the highly skilled crew I’ve worked with, and the guests who are attracted to this unique way to see the west coast.”

Mara has led small culinary tours to Italy since 2004.

Peter Keegan

Chef

Peter is one of the chefs on the beautiful MV Swell. Originally from the UK, Peter’s weekends were spent traveling to seaside towns, enjoying pebble beaches and chilly swims, which left a lasting impression on him.

He moved to Canada at an early age and quickly found a passion for kitchen life. The dedication to creating and executing new culinary ideas among a cast of characters captivated him, and he never looked back.

Peter’s career has opened many avenues, including Canadian Guest Chef appearances in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh, serving as Executive Chef of boutique hotels in the West Indies, and working on events in the UK and Mexico. He also worked as an outreach lead for the WWF Middle East and SeaChoice, focusing on sustainable seafood programs.

Several years ago, Peter switched gears and took an opportunity to work on a High Arctic expedition. After 50 days on the sea ice, he knew there was no going back to “normal society.” He then found an ad for a relief chef with Maple Leaf Adventures and jumped at the chance to work on the coast, highlighting the freshest and most sustainable Pacific seafood and foraged ingredients.

Peter continues working Arctic expeditions and has now added Antarctica to his rotation. While all his trips are unique, it’s his time on the coast with Maple Leaf Adventures that he looks forward to the most. Standing in the galley with the Pacific Northwest as a backdrop while filleting a beautiful piece of Blue Ling Cod is a magical moment for him as a chef.

Peter lives by the motto, “not a moment to waste.”