Wawatay catering finds success with traditional Algonquin food

“It takes a community to have a successful business,” says Marie-Cécile Nottaway, founder and head chef of Wawatay Catering and winner of two awards in the 2016 Quebec ARISTA competition. “You need all of the resources around you: the local food, friends and family…so many people are part of what I do.”

Nottaway’s hard work and dedication to her craft were honoured with first prize in ARISTA’s Young Independent Worker of Quebec category and support from Nottaway’s friends, family and social media followers helped her garner the People’s Choice Award as well. ARISTA highlights Quebecers aged 18-40 who demonstrate unique entrepreneurial spirit and a drive to succeed in the business world. The awards were presented at a gala at the Théâtre Saint-James May 17.

Nottaway, who likes being called by her childhood nickname Cezin, runs her traditional Algonquin catering business out of Kitigan Zibi. She grew up in Rapid Lake in Parc de la Vérendrye before moving to Maniwaki for high school. As a seven-year-old, Cezin started cleaning wild game and looks back fondly on her memories in the bush.

“I’d spend my summers, Christmas holidays and weekends visiting my grandparents and we were always in the bush – living off the land, hunting, fishing. I grew up mainly on wild meats,” she reminisces.

“We’d have a seasonal feast that we would celebrate where the men would hunt, the women would cook and the young girls would help set up and prepare little things. Without really knowing it, I was developing my skillset to do what I do today,” she adds.

“If you’re old enough to hold a knife you’re old enough to carve a moose, you know, follow the lines!” she laughs. “That was my whole lifestyle when I was a kid.”

Nottaway has two children – son Ryder and daughter Quill – with husband Wesley Cote. While things are currently going well with the family, she says this wasn’t always the case. Over 10 years ago, Cote had a run-in with the law. This caused the two of them to re-evaluate the way they were living and stop consuming drugs and alcohol.

“We led a different lifestyle back then and we don’t mind sharing that,” she says. “The cops raided our house, and fortunately they didn’t find anything. But when they came into my home and my children were screaming, and then leaving with my husband in handcuffs, I said to myself, ‘I’m done with this.’

“They took him away for the day and when he returned I told him, ‘You have to make a choice now and if it takes you even a second I know where I stand. It’s either that lifestyle or it’s me and the kids.’ And he said, ‘Well, you of course.’ And I said, ‘Good, you’re going to turn your life around.’”

The two turned their focus to completing their education, with Nottaway returning to Algonquin College to complete her diploma in Chef Training and Culinary Management while Cote finished college, went on to university and is currently in his second year of medical school at McGill University in Montreal.

After graduating, Nottaway started working at the Wanaki rehabilitation centre in Maniwaki where the idea to start her own business took root.

“Being there was an amazing experience because I was able to learn how to re-introduce traditional foods back into our people’s lives. Seeing people who had addictions, people with heart disease and diabetes, I wanted to contribute. To feel better you need to eat better, so I started experimenting with healthy menus and more wild meat and I started thinking that I wanted to do more.”

Nottaway called her godmother Tina Vincent to talk about her desire to do more with her life and branch out on her own. Vincent suggested that Nottaway look to fill the niche market for healthy, original, “old school” Anishnabe food so hard to come by in the region.

Vincent got Nottaway her first gig, catering a graduation at Minwaashin Lodge in Ottawa around 2010, and as word slowly spread Nottaway began catering more small events.

“Anything I could get my hands on I took,” she says. “I didn’t pay to promote myself, I just set up a Facebook page and next thing you know people were needing [the service]. It wasn’t an insane amount at first, maybe once every two weeks. Then it was like four times a month. After a year I couldn’t juggle my fulltime job and my business anymore.”

Quirky posts on Twitter and Facebook, an interview with Indian Country Today and a chance meeting with former Governor General Michaëlle Jean all helped spur the growth of Wawatay over the past few years. The meeting with Jean resulted in Nottaway and her biography being featured in a campaign called Art Saves Lives, giving her national media exposure. Today Nottaway has her hands full catering events from Maniwaki to Ottawa.

Asked about the day-to-day operations of Wawatay Catering and her plans for the future, Nottaway says wants to construct a new kitchen, develop her own line of spices, vinaigrettes and maple syrup, write a recipe book and create custom Wawatay t-shirts that say “Made With Love”.

“We prepare the stuff at home in my tiny kitchen,” she says. “My team consists of two or three people depending on what type of service it is. If it’s a large event I’ll hire students in the area [where we’re catering]. You don’t need to have experience you just need to know how to work in a fast-paced environment and have a positive attitude. Basically, I tell them to treat people the way you would like to be served.”

Nottaway’s advice for up-and-coming entrepreneurs is one of perseverance and self-awareness.

“Stay true to who you are, remember your roots, where you come from,” she says. “Educate yourself as much as you can in the field you want to be in, be prepared to work, be passionate and determined. Every mistake is a lesson learned, keep doing what you’re doing and don’t let anyone tell you it won’t work.”

Check out www.wawataycatering.ca to learn more about Nottaway and her traditional cooking services.