top of page
Writer's pictureBrent MacGillivray

International Chefs Day


International Chefs Day is observed all over the world on October 20 of every year. The day celebrates chefs and spreads awareness about eating healthy. Every year, a theme is decided for International Chefs Day — in 2020, it was ‘Healthy Food for the Future,’ and the same theme is repeated this year, although with a deeper focus on sustainability and ensuring a healthy environment for future generations. Dr. Bill Gallagher, a renowned master chef and former president of the World Association of Chefs Societies (World chefs), established International Chefs Day in 2004.


In honour of this occasion I felt the need to celebrate with an acknowledgment of some of Canadas most noted Chefs. Canadian Chefs are often not seen as significant contributors to the global food scene. Not true, we are just humble, and perhaps less egocentric than many of our counterparts. With that said, lets have a look at my list of deserving Chefs.


Chef John Higgins




Chef John Higgins has cooked for the Queen at Buckingham Palace, on the Royal Yacht Britannia, for heads of state in Washington, D.C., and for celebrities around the world. Like many of his colleagues, Chef Higgins brings years of worldwide experience to George Brown College, mentoring the next generation of talent. Beginning his career as an culinary apprentice at the Michelin Star Restaurant in Glasgow, Malmaison, John then worked at the five star luxury hotel in Scotland, Gleneagles. Upon immigrating to North America, John worked at the Four Seasons Hotel in Canada and the United States, before his final role in the hotel industry at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto.


Lynn Crawford

is a Canadian chef, got his training from George Brown College in Toronto. She is known for her appearances on the hit Food Network show Restaurant Makeover, which is seen in more than 16 nations around the world. She was once the official chef at the Four Seasons in Toronto and the previous official chef of the Four Seasons in New York. She showed up on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America (the third chef from Canada to do as such), in a fight with Iron Chef Bobby Flay. The scene initially broadcast on March 7, 2007 with shelled enthusiast fans thus considered as the fourth most famous chef among the list of the top 10 chefs in Canada.






Jehane Benoît, OC was a Canadian culinary author, speaker, commentator, journalist, and broadcaster. After studying at the Sorbonne and the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, she started her own cooking school, Fumet de la Vieille France, in Montreal. She also opened one of Canada's first vegetarian restaurants, "The Salad Bar", in 1935. Best known as "Madame Benoît," she wrote 30 books during her career, including the Encyclopedia of Canadian Cuisine. She appeared regularly on CBC Television's Take 30 and later became a proponent of microwave cookery, writing several books on the subject as well as appearing in television commercials for Panasonic microwaves. In 1973, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada "for her contribution to this art in Canada". In 2012, Marguerite Paulin and Marie Desjardins published Jehane Benoît's biography À la découverte de Jehane Benoît, le roman de la grande dame de la cuisine canadienne.



Thats all for today folks. This list could easily be much more comprehensive, and we should really acknowledge all chefs. cooks and those that work hard in an industry that is far under appreciated! Tomorrow is International Chefs Day, please HUG your favorite Chef and let him know how you feel! Cheers, and happy hump day!

4 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page