Meeru Dhalwala is co-founder of Vij’s and co-founder/chef of Lila restaurant, both in Vancouver, BC. For 30 years, she created all the recipes and ran the kitchen at Vij’s (and Rangoli for 17 years). In April 2024, Meeru received the Restaurants Canada Award for Culinary Excellence. Meeru opened Lila, a modern Indian pescatarian/vegetarian restaurant with a strong focus on “small is beautiful”, with co-founder Shira Blustein, in May 2024. Meeru is a self-taught chef who erased traditional boundaries within Indian cooking to create her style of original cuisine. She holds a Master of Science in Development Studies from Bath University, UK, and brings her passion for human rights and development into her business practices. She is one of Vancouver’s most prominent promoters of women in business, food sustainability, and healthy food accessibility to ALL people in our communities. Vij’s received the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2022 and 2023. Meeru also wrote the three Vij’s cookbooks. In addition to her intellectual curiosities and enjoyment of all things that bring the world of humans together through food, Meeru enjoyed being a chef/judge on Food Television Network’s “Wall of Chefs”. Meeru is a board member of many organizations that focus on farming and farmers, and climate/food justice. Notably she is on the Faculty Advisory Board for Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Meeru also works closely with Food Stash Foundation, a charity that redirects rescued fresh foods (produce, dairy, meats, poultry and seafood) from grocery stores to people in need. One of her most enjoyable activities has been as a judge for Canadian Outstanding Young Farmer for farmers aged 40 and under. In winter 2022, Meeru founded and piloted My Bambiri Foods, an online organic baby and toddler food company. All recipes are international and sourced from BC organic farms. My Bambiri foods are sold via a three-tiered pricing, where parents select their price relative to their incomes and financial agency. For her work, Meeru has received honorary doctorates from UBC and Simon Fraser University.