Bread & Butter Collective

Bread & Butter Collective Bread & Butter is a Vancouver Island based peer-driven collective aimed at providing resources and tools to hospitality based business owners in B.C.

05/29/2026

What happens when someone with no farming experience decides to grow food on a rooftop in downtown Victoria?

Ash Whelan tells the origin story of Topsoil from a small rooftop garden supplying restaurants to becoming one of Victoria’s most recognizable urban farming operations.

A story about entrepreneurship, experimentation, and building local food systems from the ground up.

👉 Watch full episodes on CHEK MEDIA: http://bit.ly/4j7kLXE

📺 YouTube:
🎙️ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream
🌐 www.breadandbuttercollective.com

05/27/2026

How do we make cities more sustainable while reconnecting people to their food?

Ash Whelan shares how a background in urban planning led to a passion for local food systems, sustainable cities, and urban agriculture. From Saskatchewan to Vancouver Island, the conversation explores how growing food closer to where people live could reshape the future of communities.

👉 Watch full episodes on CHEK MEDIA: http://bit.ly/4j7kLXE

📺 YouTube:
🎙️ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream
🌐 www.breadandbuttercollective.com

05/25/2026

Topsoil isn’t just growing food they’re building new ways for people to access local produce directly from farms.

Ash Whelan explains how their community food boxes work, how they support other local farmers, and why expanding pickup locations across Victoria is helping bring more fresh food into urban communities.

👉 Watch full episodes on CHEK MEDIA: http://bit.ly/4j7kLXE

📺 YouTube:
🎙️ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream
🌐 www.breadandbuttercollective.com

05/22/2026

Why would Iran trust Western security guarantees after what happened to countries like Libya and Ukraine?

Calen McNeil breaks down the geopolitical realities surrounding Iran, nuclear negotiations, and why history shapes how nations respond to global pressure.

From education and literacy rates to geography and strategic control of the Strait of Hormuz, the conversation explores why simple “carrot and stick” diplomacy may no longer work in a changing world order.

👉 Watch full episodes on CHEK MEDIA: http://bit.ly/4j7kLXE

📺 YouTube:
🎙️ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream
🌐 www.breadandbuttercollective.com

05/20/2026

What do Canadians actually get in return for taxes?

Calen McNeil compares Canada’s healthcare system and social safety net to the United States, discussing inequality, middle-class erosion, and why universal healthcare remains one of Canada’s most important protections.

The conversation also explores the growing pressure on public infrastructure and the long-term consequences of wealth concentration.

👉 Watch full episodes on CHEK MEDIA: http://bit.ly/4j7kLXE

📺 YouTube:
🎙️ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream
🌐 www.breadandbuttercollective.com

05/19/2026

Could modern democracies be sliding toward authoritarianism?

Sam Jones walks through the “11 steps” often associated with authoritarian movements from attacking truth and silencing dissent to exploiting fear, chaos, and division.

The conversation reflects on media, institutions, public trust, and why many people feel current events are beginning to mirror historical warning signs.

👉 Watch full episodes on CHEK MEDIA: http://bit.ly/4j7kLXE

📺 YouTube:
🎙️ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream
🌐 www.breadandbuttercollective.com

05/17/2026

Why would someone who could live anywhere choose to stay in Victoria?

In this episode, we talk about status culture in Vancouver, why Victoria feels different, and why community matters more than wealth or ego. He also shares thoughts on friendship, ambition, and what makes a city worth calling home.

🎙️ Bread & Butter Podcast
Hosted by the Bread & Butter Collective.

05/15/2026

Andrew opens up about being diagnosed with ADHD later in life and how treatment dramatically changed his anxiety, focus, and day-to-day experience.

A candid conversation about entrepreneurship, mental health, creativity, and the fear many people have around medication.

05/13/2026

What happens when AI starts handling reservations, pricing, food costing, bookkeeping, and marketing?

Today we look at how artificial intelligence could completely reshape hospitality operations and free restaurant owners to focus on the creative side of business.

🎙️ Bread & Butter Podcast
Hosted by the Bread & Butter Collective.

05/12/2026

Andrew Wilkinson shares the story of how a conversation about Ottavio in Oak Bay led him into the restaurant business.

After reviewing the numbers and realizing the business was actually profitable, something rare in hospitality, the decided to invest. That eventually led to acquiring other beloved Victoria spots like Ferris’ and Part and Parcel.

His philosophy? Buy great businesses, trust great operators, and avoid over-managing.

A fascinating look at hospitality ownership, scaling local brands, and preserving community institutions.

👉 Watch full episodes on CHEK MEDIA: http://bit.ly/4j7kLXE
📺 YouTube:
🎙️ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream
🌐 www.breadandbuttercollective.com

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Victoria, BC

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