The lunch bell rang yesterday at KVR Middle School just like it does every day of the school year. And like every other day, the kids launched out of their classrooms, knowing this was their one big chance to hang with their friends, run around like crazy, and of course chow down.
But yesterday there was something else in the air. The kids were moving faster than usual, the chatter was louder, and the smiles broader. Even the staff got in on the act, knowing that today's lunch was something special for them too.
It was samosa day.
Once a year every year, Penticton's Bhaljit Bhuhi brings his Samosa Express food truck to the school. And with the help of his family, his in-laws, and his friends, he feeds every single person inside - all 500-plus students and 40-plus faculty.
For the kids, he brings handmade, freshly created samosas. Each student gets a minimum of two, along with a juice box. For the faculty, he brings a full-on buffet that include items such as aloo gobi, chickpea paneer, pakoras, and rice pudding.
It's a massive undertaking. Bhuhi says it takes his team four full days just to prep and cook the 1300 samosas. And on the day of the lunch, they set up three fully-staffed stations throughout the school in order to efficiently distribute the food. They even make gluten-free options for those who want it.
And KVR Middle School is just one of several local schools Bhuhi and his team feeds each year. This year he'll also bring his truck, his team, and all that fresh, piping hot Indian food to Carmi Elementary, Parkway Elementary, and Naramata Elementary. Next year, he'll add Giant's Head Elementary.
One more thing. He doesn't charge a penny. It's absolutely free.
"This is our eighth year doing this," said the soft-spoken Bhuhi yesterday morning. "We started with one school - Carmi Elementary. One of my children was there at the time. I often brought her lunch, and another kid came to me and asked if I could make it for him too."
"So then we decided we'd bring lunch for the class. And then whole school, to make sure no one felt left out."
Bhuhi says it's all about sharing what you have with others - one of the key principles of his Sikh religion. "We work hard, we share, we go to the temple. That's how we want to treat everybody, to share things."
"I'm also a bit greedy. If I do a good thing, hopefully my kids will learn from me. And not only my kids, but the kids eating the food too. If we're good to our kids, then in the future we'll have a good society."
He also feels it's a great way to expose young people to ethnic food.
"Elementary kids are young," he said. "They don't have a say in what they want to eat. They might not have a chance to try Indian food until they grow up. So I thought we could give them a chance to try something different."
"It's the happy faces we see that gives us the energy to continue."
Also on site yesterday was LocoLanding co-owner Diana Stirling, who ran the afternoon's busiest food table.
"I think what Baljit and his family do is absolutely amazing," she said. "When I heard he was offering this free to all the students at KVR, of course I was going to lend a hand. Baljit is a good friend and a great member of the community."
KVR vice-principal Michelle Glibbery is an equally big Bhuhi fan. "Baljit and I have known each other for a number of years through our work in the school district. He has an incredibly generous spirit. He wants to bring the community together. He wants to share his culture with the community."
Glibbery said the students were thrilled. "Many of them are trying samosas for the very first time. It's an introduction to another culture and they get jazzed about it. And it's totally free. Where else can you get a free lunch?"
Grade 7 student Gwen was anxious to chat with us. "It's just really cool what he does for our community," she said. "They feed us samosas every year. It's always delicious. And the kids are saying, 'Wow, it's amazing.'"
Caitlin, also in Grade 7, added, "Everyone is so happy today. We all get to eat together and enjoy something from a different culture. It's hot and warm and freshly made too."
2019 was a big year for Samosa Express. Apart from being one of the south Okanagan's busiest food truck services, they also got themselves a second vehicle. A really big new vehicle.
"Yes, we added another truck this year, in May" said Bhuhi of his new five-ton. "We've been modifying it and it will be in operation next year."
The additional truck is an important step for the five-year-old business. During the warm months, Samosa Express regularly sets up on the Okanagan Lake waterfront, near The Peach. But they need to haul the truck out of there to handle the many events they service. With the new truck, they'll have one stationed at the waterfront and the other fully mobile.
Also in 2020, Bhuhi and family will begin experimenting with an expanded menu that includes Indian tacos.
"They'll be soft shell tacos. We'll add our Indian flavour to it. We'll pull a little bit from one continent, and a little bit from the other, and see how the combination works."
In the meantime, you can find Samosa Express at a couple of regional pre-Christmas events, including the Tree Light Up Festival in downtown Penticton on November 22nd, and the Summerland Festival of Lights on November 29th.
"I couldn’t do this without my family," said Bhuhi as yesterday's lunch wound down. "My wife my kids, my in-laws. I want to thank all of them very much."
