The seventh and final season of Moosemeat & Marmalade is premiering now on APTN, and the second episode explores the food and recreation scenes of Whistler.
The hit series started in 2014, with chefs Art Napoleon, from Saulteau First Nation, and Dan Hayes, from London, England, exploring culture and traditions from around the world, merging their diverse backgrounds to bring audiences and tastebuds delight. The seventh season spans from Eastern to Western Canada, and even pops over to Sweden for beaver and moose hunting. Episode 2’s foray into Whistler features winter sports, ice fishing and biathlon, and of course, incredible food.
While the series is ending, both Napoleon and Hayes have plenty to praise about Whistler, their on-air chemistry and what the show has meant to them.
While some episodes are led by Hayes or Napoleon, the storyline and their interactions make episodes blend together seamlessly. Napoleon explained the Whistler episode was led by Hayes, who tends to focus more on fine-dining.
Whistler is no stranger to epicureanism, but when filming, restaurants proved difficult to get into, even for a hit TV production. So, Napoleon explained they went rogue.
“We couldn't get into the fine-dining places for filming peak season. So, we filmed the cook and dine in our chalet that we were renting,” he said.
Delectable dishes carefully curated for the episode included coho salmon linguine and pan-fried monkfish on a chestnut and sage noisette with mushrooms.
Hayes explained he hadn’t spent much time in Whistler, but he would hear from friends in London, England, that were looking forward to ski at the internationally renowned Whistler Blackcomb.
“It's just a fun little place. And you’re in such beautiful, wild, rugged forests and mountains and all of a sudden there's this sort of funky little town that has everything you possibly need for a fun weekend,” Hayes said.
While skiing isn’t either host’s forte, they are experienced hunters. Learning biathlon balanced their expertise out when they tried biathlon at Whistler Olympic Park.
“I think the last time I skied prior to that, I was 14 … so I’m not very elegant on a pair of skis, downhill or cross-country. So that was fun,” Hayes explained.
“Of course, the shooting side of things, Art and I, you know, we hunt a lot, and we shoot a lot and so that's no problem. But the skiing, that was a little bit tricky.”
They also went ice fishing on Nita Lake, but to find out what they caught, you’ll have to catch the episode.
Moosemeat & Marmalade ends
Ending the series wasn’t easy, but Napoleon said many factors played into the decision, from experiencing long-COVID to members of the crew passing away.
“I just figured if I'm going to continue in TV, I'm at an age now where maybe I should try something else instead of the same old, same old, and maybe leave people wanting a little bit more and not getting tired of Moosemeat & Marmalade,” he said.
The show also had to overcome international travel logistics, whether it was gear or vehicle rentals, airport inspections, or permitting for drones while creating a high-quality show.
“One thing I'm proud of is that we created the show I think that has high production value and became an international show with a shoestring budget if you compare it to the bigger networks,” Napoleon said.
While neither Napoleon nor Art said exactly what will come next for them, Napoleon’s history in television, music and writing are all meaningful paths, and he’s also got an off-grid hobby farm that needs tending to. Hayes, who caught the performance bug while working on Moosemeat & Marmalade, looks forward to continuing in television and teaching at his cooking school, London Chef.
The chemistry between the two is appreciated by both Hayes and Napoleon, which won’t be easy to repeat elsewhere.
For Hayes, who came to Canada 16 years ago, the show also gave him an opportunity to learn from Indigenous communities.
“I got to spend time in Indigenous communities, get to know Indigenous communities and they've got to know me,” Hayes said.
“And so, I'm in this unbelievably privileged situation… and there is absolutely no way I would have had that experience without the show.”
