Meet Chef Rene!

For more than 20 years I have been cooking in hotels. Working along with some really talented Chefs I have honed and focused my style of cooking into what I like to call "Canadian Comfort" foods. My beginnings were humble like many cooks starting out. I knew I loved to cook at a young age, remembering my first dish being a Spicy Bruschetta I made for a party my mother was hosting. From there on I knew what I wanted to be. As soon as I was 15 years old I got my first job helping out at a local burger shop. The owner instilled in me a type of pride for food that I never experienced before. His work ethic and respect for the ingredients he used was so profound, it cemented my drive to get to culinary school after High school.

I attended the HRT Culinary/Chef Training program at Humber college and graduated with honours after a 2 year program. The knowledge and skills were invaluable as I began my career working at the Delta Meadowvale. Over the course of 9 years I advanced through the ranks, retaining a station chef position for 2 years before making the next step to Sous Chef of the Delta Chelsea.

With its massive twin towers,1590 rooms, 6 outlets and over 16000 sq ft banquet space it was quite the transition. It was here that I began to develop my cooking style, by learning more and more about local foods, cheeses, and making connections to suppliers, farms and members of the food service industry that shared my passion.

Over the course of the last few years I have grown to love and appreciate both the simplicity and complexity of the ingredients that are indigenous to our region of Canada, as well as developing what is for me to be considered Canadian cuisine. The diversity of many different cooking styles makes up what I believe to be the eclectic combinations and fusions of what is known as Canadian cuisine today. Taking what is growing with pride in our own backyards and applying simple time tested techniques derived from influences like Italian, Indian, Asian, European, French, Caribbean, and even 6 nations makes up what my food philosophy is all about.