The pandemic hasn't only exerted a toll on restaurants. It's also been brutal on companies that offer food and beverage tours in the Lower Mainland.

One such example is Vancouver Foodie Tours, which was founded by Michelle Ng in 2010. In 2017, it made a Forbes magazine list of the top nine food tours in the world.

But for two years, Vancouver Foodie Tours went on hiatus due to COVID-19.

This month, however, the company has relaunched with two offerings: a Granville Island Market tour and an Authentic Asian Eats tour, which shows the delights of Richmond's food scene.

"Richmond is home to world-class Asian food establishments," Ng says. "Our food tour experiences help ease language and cultural barriers, providing guests with an easy and inviting way to explore authentic Asian cuisine, history, and culture.”

On Granville Island, tourgoers get a chance to check out everything from Lee's Donuts to Benton Brothers Fine Cheese and Oyama Sausage Co. There are several other stops along the way, all with "VIP" access, in this local culinary hot spot.