Bannock
Dish
Bannock suits anyone who wants to taste the bread Indigenous cooks across North America have made their own, and Salmon n' Bannock on West Broadway in Vancouver bakes its signature bannock to serve with butter and berry jam. Destination Vancouver says two of the area's bannock businesses keep no fixed daily spot, so follow them on social media before you set out.
Photo Skorp · Wikimedia Commons · CC0 and others, credited in the gallery
The name
bannock
The word comes from northern English and Scots dialects, and the Oxford English Dictionary traces it to the Latin panicium for baked dough or panis for bread.
English
Early Old English glosses on the writing of Aldhelm record it as bannuc, and Aldhelm died in 709.
SourceWhere to eat Bannock
- Salmon n' Bannock
The restaurant at 1128 West Broadway calls itself Vancouver's only Indigenous restaurant and bakes its signature bannock.
- Salmon n' Bannock On The Fly
The YVR counter sits after security in International Departures next to gate 71.
- Thunderbird Café
The café at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler serves traditional bannock, and from 6 November to 31 December 2026 it works from a food truck on the Mezzanine Patio.
Indigenous peoples across North America make bannock, from the Inuit in the Arctic to First Nations on the Pacific coast and the Métis. Cooks knead white or whole-wheat flour with baking powder, sugar, lard and water or milk, then fry the dough or bake it. Out on the land some wrapped it around a green hardwood stick to toast over the fire. Wikipedia cites sources that say fur traders brought the bread and its Scottish name. It ties the modern recipe to government rations of wheat flour, sugar, lard and butter on reserves in the late 19th century. Those rations came when settlers had cut off access to country foods.
Inez Cook of the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola opened Salmon n' Bannock on West Broadway in 2010 with Remi Caudron, and she has owned it alone since 2019. The signature bannock is baked to about the size of a hockey puck and comes with butter and a rotating berry jam. A gluten-free version is on the menu too. The kitchen also makes a vegetarian bannock taco and serves its smoked sockeye burger on bannock. On your way home, look for Salmon n' Bannock On The Fly after security in YVR's International Departures next to gate 71.
Squamish Nation chef Paul Natrall started Mr. Bannock as Vancouver's first Indigenous food truck. Destination Vancouver dates the start to January 2018 in one article and to 2017 in its June 2026 guide. He cooks with Squamish Nation ingredients such as juniper berries and smoked wild salmon, and his honey waffle bannock carries a juniper berry rub. In 2026 the truck had no fixed daily spot and served at events and through catering. West Coast Bannock works the same way, and owner Richard Mark (Nisga'a-Gitxsan) fries bannock for tacos and a sockeye salmon sandwich at stops across Metro Vancouver that include North Vancouver and West Vancouver.
In Whistler, the Thunderbird Café at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre serves traditional bannock in the admission-free lower level. The café closes from 1 to 5 November 2026 for a refresh. From 6 November to 31 December it serves from the Qwalimak food truck on the Mezzanine Patio, and you sit in the Longhouse. The centre opens Wednesday to Sunday in that stretch and closes on 11 November for Remembrance Day.
Worth knowing
- Book a table at Salmon n' Bannock, because the restaurant calls its dining room intimate and recommends reservations.
- Check Mr. Bannock's Instagram to see where the truck will serve next.
- Visit the Thunderbird Café between 6 November and 16 December 2026 to save 20% while it serves from the food truck.
- Pick up a Bangin' Bannock mix at Stong's Market to bake bannock at home.
Quick answers about Bannock
Where can you eat bannock in Vancouver?
Salmon n' Bannock at 1128 West Broadway serves its signature baked bannock with butter and berry jam. Its On The Fly counter at YVR sits after security in International Departures next to gate 71.
Who is Mr. Bannock?
Mr. Bannock is the business of Squamish Nation chef Paul Natrall. He started it as Vancouver's first Indigenous food truck, and Destination Vancouver's June 2026 guide says the truck has no fixed daily schedule and serves at events and through catering.
Is bannock an Indigenous food?
Yes. Indigenous peoples across North America make bannock, and Wikipedia notes that its name came from Scotland and that government rations shaped the modern recipe.
How do you order Bannock?
Order it warm with butter and jam, or as the base of a bannock taco. Ask whether it's fried or baked, since Salmon n' Bannock says bannock is different everywhere you go.
When is Bannock in season?
Bannock: Bannock makers cook it all year.