Edible Notables: Das Nest

Das Nest is truly the embodiment of a beautiful love story, with all the best kinds of plot lines: two inspiring people, a beautiful island, a shared passion for food and success in the face of a world-wide pandemic.

Jan moved to Canada from Germany in 2016, not knowing a soul. He found work at the Farmer’s Apprentice restaurant, and in April 2017, he went with a colleague to the Vancouver Magazine restaurant awards. There, he was introduced to Randi, and as the evening events carried on, they found themselves engaged in conversation about travel and shared interests. They parted ways without exchanging numbers, but the magic of Instagram reconnected them when Randi popped up in Jan’s “people you may know” feed. A few DMs later, the pair found themselves dating.

In 2020, during heightened pandemic isues, they were desperate to get out of Vancouver for a break. Friends on Mayne Island offered them the opportunity to rent a small cob cabin one weekend. The weekend they went wasn’t an ideal time to visit the island—“it was the smokiest weekend of the year, the views were terrible and the fog horns of the ferries rang out all day”—but they quickly discovered the next best thing to hiking or going to the beach is to visit the local brewery. Randi was acquainted with Michael, the owner and brewer of Mayne Island Brewing Beer, and they settled in for a few drinks.

But, “I am German,” Jan says pointedly. “That means I am very picky with my beer and believe strongly in the purity law.” However, the beer at Mayne Island Brewing was unlike anything Jan had experienced in Canada previously. “It blew my mind. All his beers tasted so clean despite some of them including more than hops, malted barley, water and yeast. I loved it.” They chatted with Michael and Annette until it was time to close the brewery, when Annette invited them for a socially distanced outdoor dinner.

While Annette prepared dinner, Jan and Randi took the opportunity to explore her beautiful garden. Between the blackberries and the hops, Jan decided it was the perfect time to pop “the” question, asking Randi to become his wife, turning the casual dinner party into a celebratory one. Turns out, it would be a pivotal day in their lives for more than just the engagement, as Michael and Annette told them the island would be a great place to open a new restaurant. “They painted a charming picture of life on Mayne Island,” recalls Jan. “Randi and I didn’t even talk about it—we fell in love with Mayne and started looking into potential restaurant properties.”

What they thought was a far-off dream of opening their own restaurant turned into an imminent plan when they talked with the owners of The Groove Kitchen during their second visit to the island. The owners agreed to lease the space to them, so on their third visit in February 2021, they signed the lease. The fourth time they boarded the ferry was with a U-Haul, transporting their entire lives and dreams to Mayne Island, with plans to open their restaurant in May. 

“My family called us nuts for trying to open a restaurant during a pandemic,” Jan admits. “But we saw an opportunity! People were tired of cooking for themselves and wanted to taste things they can’t make at home.” As it turns out, the half-capacity restrictions were beneficial to their opening, because it gave them time to adjust things in the large space as needed, and “take things slow to do it right.”

Although the opening was delayed due to a few setbacks like renovation complications and liquor licence challenges, they finally opened their doors on June 13th, 2021. The idea behind Das Nest was to provide a small but interesting menu of farm-to-table dishes that would serve the tourists in the summer and the locals all year ’round. By the end of their first summer, 90% of their produce came from Mayne Island farms, with the rest sourced from other local B.C. farms. 

“Our menu is constantly changing and evolving, dictated by the season and what’s available,” explains Jan. This is both challenging and rewarding, as they also incorporate unique, wild ingredients where they can, like nettle, rose and elderflower. All their use of local ingredients also reduces their waste, to the point where the entire restaurant produces only one bag of garbage per week. 

They’ve continued to successfully forge ahead, despite facing challenges with staffing (due to difficulty finding housing for employees) and the continuing pandemic keeping many people from dining out. The winter season brings a lack of tourists, and the colder weather discourages locals from heading their way. But they’ve addressed the challenge by introducing an online market, where you can pre-order items for next-day pick up. They also sell sourdough loaves twice a week at the local grocery store, Farmgate.

Ultimately, there are no regrets. “We love running this business,” says Jan. From being their own bosses to creating a positive work environment, Jan and Randi have found contentment in providing their guests with a unique dining experience that showcases local food paired with local libations. “It is such an honour to introduce local producers to our guests and help create excitement around local brands.” Mayne Island has proven to be the perfect location for Das Nest, with its beautiful setting inspiring Jan and Randi each day. 

The Edible Notables Series is proudly sponsored by Beacon Law Centre.