Barbara-Jo’s Books To Cooks

Cookbooks galore!
What a lovely place to explore — everything here is food related and covers a wide range of cuisines and age groups in nice setting. The owner is lovely to chat with too!
They offer some cooking demos/​dinners on site to feature authors coming into town or for private functions. Had a lovely time here at a private dinner and you get 10% off your purchase when paired with an event!
It’s not cooking lessons like Dirty Apron, but rather a demonstration. I would totally recommend this as a team building/​small corporate event.

Love this place and their courtesy. I once walked in browsing books, accepted their offer of tea, enjoyed it and then walked out, without realizing it that I should pay.
What is amazing about them is they did not asked for it. I guess they realized I didn’t get the fact that they are selling tea as well.
I’m thankful for the courtesy, generosity and most of all their humanity.
For sure you will find me coming back again.

Last night at a fantastic dinner party, our host commented casually about Books to Cooks.
«Books to Cooks?» I asked, my eyes getting as big as saucers, eye brows raised.
«Yeah, you haven’t been there?»
As a serious book nerd, relatively accomplished home cook, and lover of all things food, I decided I could wait no longer than 12 hours and promptly proclaimed (much to DH“s chagrin) that we positively, absolutely, had to go today. And we did.
Walking in was akin to walking into the Gourmet Warehouse. I was positively giddy, totally in love with the merchandising, books with mouth-​watering covers, romantic explorations of every subject, from fermentation to sous vide. My highly coveted Modernist Cuisine At Home was there too… every book you could possible imagine related to the culinary arts was available and at your fingertips.
The demo kitchen was beautiful and I would love to take in a class or a meal. Heck, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to find time to just sit down with a stack of books and go through them all, one by one, the way a chocolate addict would a box of Pot of Gold!
I will be back, oh yes, I will be back. I even told my Mom (who has the same issue as I do— great love for cookbooks and a Husband who insists she has enough already) and I“m sure she’s going to pop down for for a long, slow, visit.

Barbara Jo’s Books To Cooks is a place that deals in «Literary Crack For Foodies.»
If it’s printed and in circulation, chances are they’ll have it… and if they don’t, I’ve had them offer to try and find it for me. But don’t be fooled by the eager to help smiles of the staff, or the smell of fresh baked goods wafting from the oven– it’s all part of their master plan to ensnare you in their chocolate covered clutches for life.
Speaking of which I’m due for a fix.

Just like selling a house, when it smells like baking you know you’re going to make a sale.
The friendliest staff work here — and why wouldn’t they? Not only do they get to work amongst oodles and oodles of cook books spanning every genre, but they actually get to sample the recipes being made.
Heading in to buy a specific type of cookbook as a gift, I was greeted and shown exactly where to look. And as I picked up the book I had already been considering, the chef announced approvingly, «Good Choice.» That sealed the deal, much like a server making a recommendation I was already considered.
Book in hand and the smell of baking filling my nostrils, I looked wide eyed as he pulled some shortbread (?) out of the oven. They were too hot to have a bite, the but the biscuits that were likely baked a few minutes earlier were heavenly. Full of brown sugar, I only ate a few bites before giving the rest away, but still, those few mouthfuls were worth stopping in any day!

If you enjoy cooking or are looking for a gift for a foodie, Barbara Jo’s offer the best selection of cookbooks you’ll find in Vancouver.
The bookstore focuses solely on cookbooks and other food writing. You’ll find tables and shelves filled with every type of book you could ever want or need. I found several books that I hadn’t been able to find elsewhere.
And, then there’s the staff. The staff also loves cooking and are knowledgeable of current writers, chefs, etc. I’ve heard they also have author signings and events on occasion but haven’t yet attended any. I will try that next!

Great books! Great store for anyone obsessed with food like me! I could probably be here for hours and peruse. What gives it the 5 stars is that they do full cooking demonstration! We happened to go in during one of them and it was interesting to listen to.
The service is great. I was looking for a Mexican Cookbook and the person there helped me find a good one very easily that suited my needs and had tons of pictures. I would totally go back! Maybe for a proper event or something?

Does everyone remember Hugh Grant’s character in Notting Hill? He worked in a travel book shop. No fiction, no children’s and no science fiction, JUST travel books. Well, Barbara-Jo’s is just like that, except she sells JUST cook books (and to be fair, books about food, but you get the idea).
Barbara-Jo’s is so much more than cook books, but the cook books they do sell are of the best and most diverse variety, from all over the world and for all occasions. If you are hankering to find the newest of the new books from such chefs as Gordan Ramsey and Farran Adria, amongst a plethora of nearly every chef and food writer/​critic you can imagine.
As mentioned, Barbara Jo’s is much, much more than just cook books and what I meant by that was that BJ’s offers fantastic nightly courses and book signings with some of the best in the industry, from cooking to knife skills and much more. The only thing I can say is to keep checking back with the events calendar because the very in-​demand courses sell out very quickly and they can usually only accommodate a couple dozen people, if that.

Neither a great chef nor a die-​hard foodie, even I can appreciate this bookstore, which is dedicated to all things culinary. Located in Granville Island’s Net Loft building, you may even be lucky enough to catch a visiting chef doing a demo in Barbara-Jo’s in-​store kitchen.

A bookstore devoted solely to cook books?! I love it! The staff seems very knowledgeable. I overheard one employee recommend book after book based on what customers were looking for and providing lots of interesting information along the way. When I asked about Swedish cook books, the employee knew just where to look.
Check out the «Online Test Kitchen of Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks»:
. This new blog has recipe reviews by staff members. If you mention any book that was featured on the blog will get 10% off.
Make sure to check out Barbara-Jo’s main website for information about book signings, demonstrations, and classes. Olive oil tastings! Knife skills! Foodies rejoice!

An entire store full of nothing but cookbooks, food books, and food magazines, plus a full demonstration kitchen and occasional free treats made from the pages of the merchandise? Yes, please! But wait, there’s more. Barbara-Jo’s is an institution, the head office and library of the Vancouver foodie scene.
In addition to cookbooks and cooking classes, if you want to meet a famous chef or cookbook author when they roll through town, or want a restaurant recommendation, Barbara-​Jo and her staff can help you there, too.
Sometimes there is a charge for author receptions, but they include the book, the signing/​talk, and often snacks and wine. The classes are also good, but they’re pricey — just think of them as a very interactive dinner date. Local chefs like Vikram Vij and John Bishop often guest-​star as demonstrators, and their classes are really popular. More often than not, though, if you’re lucky, you’ll spot celebrity browsers when you’re perusing the vast selection.
I especially like that they carry a lot of imported and hard-​to-​find titles, particularly from the United Kingdom. Plus, if you do have trouble with a recipe after the fact, they’ll often try to give some cooking advice over the phone. The service and knowledge are just that excellent.