Home-grown entrepreneur honoured

By Amy Dove - Goldstream News Gazette - May 21, 2008

Smoken Bones owner Ken Hueston was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the B.C. Chamber of Commerce. In only two years, the Langford restaurateur has made big mark on the West Shore.
Amy Dove/News staff

Ken Hueston lives, eats and breathes local.

Metchosin born and raised, the chef cultivates local talent and food in one small kitchen on Station Road in Langford. His dedication to sustainability and business ranked him as top young entrepreneur in the province by the B.C. Chamber of Commerce.

It took 12 hours for the award to sink in, Hueston says. He had won things as part of a team before, but never on his own. That this recognition is connected to sustainability makes it even more important.

"By embracing our backyards, we are going to save our backyards," he says.

Hueston makes a point to encourage food sustainability by buying local. He also mentors new chefs in the kitchen of Smoken Bones, a southern-influenced barbecue restaurant.

It's rare anyone asks him about life outside the restaurant, Hueston says, since that is where he spends most of his time. While cooking has always played a vital role in his life and his paycheques, there is more to the 35-year-old with an Iron Maiden wallet.

He went to university because that is what people did. He majored in paleontology because he likes bones, he says. School just wasn't the right fit though and it wasn't long before he called home and told his father he was dropping out. He worked in Vancouver for a bit before landing a job at Milestone's in Victoria. A stint up Island introduced him to his mentor, a chef in Parksville.

Life changed again when an accident on the Malahat left him in recovery for six months and saw him move back to the south end of the Island.

A job at Spinnaker's led to him open his own business in Langford. In two years Smoken Bones has won several awards, including the rank as 12th best new restaurant in the country from en Route magazine. The West Shore Chamber of Commerce honoured him as entrepreneur of the year in 2007. He is also the president of the Island Chef Collaborative.

A successful business is about high volume, low impact, Hueston says. With roughly 1,000 people walking through the door every four days, that means looking for food close to home.

"We give people food that is totally done by hand the way food is supposed to be," Hueston says. "You can get some awesome food from Vancouver Island."

There are few hours Hueston isn't at the restaurant, but when he does get away it is all about family.

" I spend time with my wife. She is my best friend," Hueston says. "I can't thank her enough (for the support)."

His love for cooking came from mom and dad, he says. His dad used to have his own cooking show on a local network.

"I always thought he was so famous, he was on the Shaw channel," he says smiling. "My dad is so passionate about Vancouver Island."

Hopefully the award will act as a challenge to other restaurants and businesses about the benefits of living and working local because that after all is what is most important, " Hueston says.

Part of that is bringing a respect into the restaurant business. For many people, work in the kitchen are seen as a job, not a career. For Hueston personally, the work was always so much fun he convinced himself initially it couldn't be a career.

"It doesn't matter what you do, if you are good at something you are going to go far," he says.

With the restaurant established, Hueston is looking at expanding into some different markets, giving people more ways to bring local food home. That means sauces and rubs in local stores for example, he says.

And as for a Smoken Bones opening elsewhere, there have been many offers to franchise the restaurant, he says, but never from the right person, with the right ideals.

"It can't be a want, it has to be a need to make food trends local."