About Rel-ish

Born and raised in the West Kootenay’s, Jeremy Lerch has always had a strong passion for

expanding and exploring his creative side through the Arts. Transitioning from the basics of

building blocks (playing with Lego Bricks) to mastering different harmonies through diverse

tantalizing string techniques. The more difficult the challenge, the more rewarding the drive

became for learning and eventually perfecting his craft.

Growing up, Jeremy was surrounded by creativity. Regardless of his homeschool upbringing he

never lacked the ability, discipline or creative instruction needed to cultivate his own

undiscovered potential and passion for cooking. He’d watch in amazement as Mom and

Grandma cooked all their family favorite meals from scratch; from fresh baked bread to ice

cream to various doukhobor dishes passed down through the generations, the possibilities were

endless.

It was watching and eventually participating in the process himself, working along side his family

at a small restaurant in the valley up until his Grandma passed, that inspired him to pursue this

passion further and strive towards becoming a professional himself. Well recollecting on his

upbringing, Jeremy stats, “I always missed the freshly cooked food she - my Grandma -

regularly made, it made me realize how important it was to my family and to myself.”

Once Jeremy started public school it was no surprise that “Foods Class” became one of his

favorites subjects to study, allowing him immerse in hand-on experiences and sharpen his

growing skills. Wanting to take it one step further, he also began cafeteria training; preparing

and cooking hot lunches for the entire student body and staff, under the watchful eye of the

schools culinary educator, Jacquline Skands.

After graduation, Skands was unwilling to see such a talented young chef’s skills go to waste,

so she reached out to a friend and local restaurant owner of Rel-ish; Trevor Ditzel. Under Ditzel

and his Sous Chef, Jeremy began to eagerly absorb what it meant to work in a high pass

environment, well at the same time learning how to put thought, care, and emotion into each

step by step process of the dishes he prepared. With a newfound knowledge and growing

respect for food, Jeremy began to perfect his craft, and gain confidence in the kitchen, by

hosting his own dinner parties for friends and family, allowing him to create, invent, and practice

his craft in a low pressure environment.

One of Jeremy’s favorite parts about cooking was getting to see and hear the different reactions

to each of the dishes he had either finally perfected or invented. This was one of the many

reasons he loved/loves working at Rel-ish, their open concept kitchen allowed him to truly

experience the full world of cooking. Being able to see friends, family, and even strangers try his

food, allowed him to connect with them on a deeper level than ever before, and enabled his

craft to truly come alive.

Eventually, the time came where Ditzel, a now good friend and mentor, was ready to pass on

Rel-ish to its next owner and the new generation of chefs. Having found his passion in life, this

 

was an opportunity Jeremy couldn’t pass up. With what started as a joke between friends, late

at night after a long shift, soon became a reality as Ditzel proudly announced, “Today, I am

thrilled to share some wonderful news with you, Rel-ish will embark on an exciting new chapter

as it transitions into the capable hands of a remarkable young man, Jeremy Lerch. Jeremy has

been an integral part of the Rel-ish family for over 5 years, and I’ve had the honor of mentoring

him in every facet of our business, right from the very beginning. Jeremy’s roots run deep in the

Kootenays, and his boundless passion for cooking and wealth of knowledge make him the

perfect steward for Rel-ish’s future”