The secret star of the Canadian Culinary championships isn含羞草研究社檛 a visiting chef or highly lauded food writer.
It含羞草研究社檚 Okanagan College.
James Chatto, head judge of the Gold Plates competition that was held in Kelowna last weekend, called the college the organizing comitttee含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渁ce in the hole含羞草研究社� and a significant factor in the decision to extend the contract for the competition in Kelowna another five years.
含羞草研究社淲e knew coming in here that the college was going to be a huge resource,含羞草研究社� said Chatto, as the judges and participants rolled into town.
含羞草研究社淲e rely on the students and the instructors for a great many things we do.含羞草研究社�
Assisting Canada含羞草研究社檚 Top 11 chefs in all they do is a significant burden to bear for students who are just embarking on their careers.
But it含羞草研究社檚 one they rise to over and over again.
OC culinary manager, chef Bernard Casavant, has been leading the students to the heart of the competition for the last two years, and he said it含羞草研究社檚 not just competing chefs who are benefiting from the relationship.
含羞草研究社淪ome of the students (heading into the competition) didn含羞草研究社檛 understand why they were being asked to do this, but (Friday) night, they worked until 10:30 p.m. or 11 p.m. and the next day they rushed early in saying, 含羞草研究社楾hat was unbelievable,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 he said.
含羞草研究社淭hey weren含羞草研究社檛 dragging themselves in, they were energized.含羞草研究社�
And why wouldn含羞草研究社檛 you be? he said.
These competing chefs represent the best in Canadian cuisine.
It含羞草研究社檚 not only students who come out of the experience changed. Kelowna, argued OC president Jim Hamilton, benefits greatly.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a great opportunity for the people who are visiting and who live here, to see how important an event this is含羞草研究社nd it含羞草研究社檚 wonderful for the community because it really puts Kelowna even more on the map than it already is as a centre of wine and tourism,含羞草研究社� he said.
It含羞草研究社檚 also creating an impetus to change the existing facilities.
含羞草研究社淎n event of this magnitude adds credibility to the argument some of us are making that this is the new stage and the new phase of what needs to be here in the valley,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e run a few new programs and we continue to put a lot of emphasis on (culinary arts). The biggest challenge for us now is one of place.含羞草研究社�
Pointing to the facility being used by the competing chefs for the black box competition, Hamilton said that things are getting a bit crowded and that含羞草研究社檚 an issue he and others are taking seriously.
含羞草研究社淭his morning I was involved in a meeting where we looked at what does that next step look like? and how do we make it happen?含羞草研究社� he said.
They already know it will take money and a physical space, but what, how and when it comes together remains to be seen.
What含羞草研究社檚 clear is that Hamilton envisions something on a far grander scale than what currently exists.
含羞草研究社淲e have the numbers in students and we have industry partners who want us to step it up to international standards,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淏ut we含羞草研究社檙e moving slowly because we don含羞草研究社檛 want to build something that含羞草研究社檚 good enough. We want to build something that含羞草研究社檚 par with what含羞草研究社檚 happening in the industry and the community含羞草研究社t含羞草研究社檚 going to be a big project.含羞草研究社�
