Savoured Here, a six-part documentary series about the food culture of Southern Vancouver Island, premieres on YouTube on November 22, 2026. It will also stream on TELUS Optik TV through TELUS STORYHIVE. Director Saman Rezapour, founder and creative director of Vancouver production company Alpenglow Media Inc., co-created the series with chef Colton Armstrong-Ashley, who hosts. Each episode follows the people who shape how the island eats: farmers, fishers, foragers, winemakers and chefs. The season moves from commercial fishing boats and coastal foraging to Saanich Peninsula vineyards, restaurant kitchens and family farms. Guests include Matt Cusano and Brian Tesolin of Cafe Brio, Rich McBride of Finest at Sea, and John and Lorraine Buchanan of Parry Bay Sheep Farm. The series also looks at what it takes to keep small, independent food businesses running on an island. The crew filmed for five months, from Metchosin to the Saanich Peninsula, in an observational style with no scripts or staged scenes. That meant early mornings on the water, harvest days, and kitchens in the middle of dinner service.

“Vancouver Island has one of the richest food cultures in Canada, and most of it happens out of sight. Savoured Here puts the people behind it on screen,” Saman Rezapour, director and co-creator of Savoured Here, commented.

Season one was produced with support from partners including Volkswagen, Blundstone, Weber and BC Dairy. Since its completion, Alpenglow Media has opened partnership talks with tourism, hospitality and food organizations in British Columbia and abroad. Rezapour is now developing a second season that would bring the same approach to more communities and producers along the coast. The series reflects the work Alpenglow Media does for commercial clients. Rezapour founded the company in 2017. It produces brand films and commercial photography for organizations in tourism, hospitality, food and agriculture, technology, science, conservation and aviation. Recent projects include video for the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, launch coverage for the Malahat SkyWalk, and a campaign video for the City of Burnaby.

“The same approach runs through all of our work,” Rezapour commented. “Find the real people and the real story, and let the camera follow.”

Savoured Here premieres on YouTube on November 22 and will also stream on TELUS Optik TV. The trailer and episode guide are on the Savoured Here documentary series site.