In Focus | Nancy Quinton of Okanagan Foodie Tours

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Nancy Quinton.

What do you always find yourself saying?
“Life’s good.” As the years have passed, quite often my family would reflect on how fortunate we have been. Thanks to our hard work, and a good helping of luck, we have our health, great partners, work and lifestyles we enjoy - so much to be grateful for.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
I would love to spend the day with my husband Sean, as he is still in Saskatchewan.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
It would be a real honour to receive an award recognizing a contribution I had made to the community and the people here. If not, a “Best Mom” award would mean a lot!

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
Jacques Cousteau. He may not be a historical figure in the true meaning but, as a scuba diver, I consider him to have been a great explorer, innovator and conservationist. He ventured where others had not and opened a new world below the water for people to enjoy.

Who inspires you?
Entrepreneurs and risk takers.

What are three things on your bucket list?
1. Travel to Australia and dive the Great Barrier Reef
2. Take an art class and create something worth displaying
3. Travel to Bali and stay in over-the-water accommodations

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
Life’s Good.

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
My 75th birthday, so I could see how my life turns out and who all comes to the party.

What are you passionate about?
Spending time with family and friends. Also, travelling and scuba diving.

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
That’s a tough question as I’ve had a lot of favourite days at different times of my life. Marrying my very supportive husband, giving birth to two great kids, many days at our cabin with dear/deer friends, and moving back to Kelowna. I guess the most recent favourite day would be the first official tour of Okanagan Foodie Tours. I was able to see my dream and hard work come to fruition and I was thrilled that all those on the tour enjoyed themselves. My restaurant partners were able to see how smoothly everything came together thanks to their commitment and faith in me.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
I would have to say raising two respectful, polite and charming children who are now adults enjoying what they do.

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
Kelowna has such a varied and delightful culinary scene with many terrific restaurants and eateries. Hmm, I have to be careful with this question as I have a number of favourite restaurants, particularly all those on my tours. With new restaurant partners joining our tours soon, it’s hard to pick any particular one. I will say that depending on your mood, the occasion or even your budget, there is a marvellous Kelowna restaurant out there for you.

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
I would have to say just walking around downtown Kelowna, the Cultural District and Stuart/City Parks. I really enjoy people watching and there is always something happening. So many great places to stop for a bite to eat or something cool to drink. And with the Okanagan Lake and Cascades as a backdrop, what’s not to love!

What is the name of your business/organization?
Okanagan Foodie Tours.

What does your business/organization do?
Okanagan Foodie Tours offers locals and visitors to Kelowna the opportunity to go on a walking food tour where they can learn a little about the city, taste delicious samplings from 4-6 eateries and have a great time meeting new people. “Take your taste buds for a walk!”

Where can people find you or your business online?
www.okanaganfoodietours.ca

Where can people find your business on Facebook?
Okanagan Foodie Tours

What is your Twitter account?
@OKFoodieTours

What is your mission?
To be the best food focused tour in the Okanagan – exceeding our customers’ expectations in overall experience, value and fun.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
It would be great to be the foodie tour company in the Okanagan – the first name people think of when they want to do something foodie. An added bonus would be hitting #1 with TripAdvisor!

Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
We are already working on adding new tours to our calendar, so in five years' time it would be great to be touring people every day. Expanding our tour experience to neighbouring cities is also part of our business plan.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
Many people offer food tours across Canada, but I would consider Patti Rodger of Taste It Food Tours a forerunner. Like myself, she is from Saskatchewan, and after experiencing food tours in Phoenix she knew she wanted to share the fun with others. She started in the small city of Moose Jaw just last year and is now operating tours in Moose Jaw, Regina, Maple Creek and Saskatoon. What she has accomplished is amazing!

What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
A focus on customer excellence, fun, and building strong partnerships.

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
I currently don’t have any employees. To all those who have supported and encouraged me while I got Okanagan Foodie Tours up and running, I would like to say THANK YOU! I couldn’t have done it without my husband’s ongoing support, and my restaurant partners have been essential. Family, friends and everyone who assured me that I could do it – you were right!

How does your business/organization impact the community?
We are proud to share the historical and cultural (and fun) facts about Kelowna’s Cultural District, the city of Kelowna and the Okanagan. By taking participants to a number of different eateries during the tours, we hope they will be enticed to come back again and patronize the establishments – maybe they will find a new favourite!

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
Another great question. If I had the undivided attention of a group of investors I would definitely want them to understand what motivates me. My true passion for working with people (customer service). If they could be from the food/beverage/tourism sector, that would be a bonus.

If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
The only thing I can think of would be the traffic.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
Everything from the interesting people, the tantalizing food, the amazing scenery and the beautiful weather – I love it all!

My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Chris Stephens at Twirling Umbrellas. Along with his team, Chris has been immensely helpful with putting together my website and getting my business off to a good start.

Some general comments I would like to share are:
Thank you for the opportunity to be in KelownaNow! Both my husband and I feel privileged to live and work in this great community. It’s taken us a while to get here, but it’s definitely been worth the wait.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!