Canada’s best chef to be crowned in Kelowna

Prepare your taste buds and stomachs as Canada’s top chefs are coming to Kelowna to compete in the 2017 annual Canadian Culinary Championships Gold Medal Plates event.

The championships will occur on February 4th at the Delta Grand Hotel and will exhibit 10 chefs from across the country competing to determine who is the best chef in Canada.

The 10 chefs include:

Mark Gray – Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery, Halifax

Jesse Friesen – Pizzeria Gusto, representing Winnipeg

Eric Hanson – Prairie Noodle Shop, representing Edmonton

Jesse McCleery – Pilgrimme, Galiano Island, representing B.C.

Garrett Thienes – Harvest Eatery and Fresh Market, Regina

Scott Torgerson – Radisson Hotel Saskatoon and Aroma Resto Bar, Saskatoon

Amanda Ray – Canteen Restaurant, representing Toronto

Jinhee Lee – Foreign Concept, representing Calgary

Joe Thottungal – Coconut Lagoon, representing Ottawa

Sophie Tabet – Chez Sophie, representing Montreal

Ruth Wigman – Oppidan, representing St. John’s

The road to the finals was long and difficult for each of the finalists. Initially, 100 chefs competed against one another in a series of competitions where they were tasked with serving up their signature dish and pairing it with a Canadian wine, beer or spirit. A group of local and national food and wine critics then judged the culinary creations before presenting a bronze, silver and gold medal to the chefs of their favorite dishes.The gold medalists secured a position in the Gold Medal Plates Finale in Kelowna.

In the Gold Medal Plates Finale, chefs will compete in three championship events where their work will be reviewed by a panel of national and regional judges. Ultimately, only one person will be crowned Canada’s Champion Chef of 2017.