Canada’s Great Kitchen Party!
Toronto Competing Chefs (click photo to learn their stories)
Jeff Kang
Canis View Website
Representing Toronto
Q & A with Jeff Kang
- What is your favourite thing to cook at home?
- I love to make preserves at home, especially kimchi.
- Where would you travel to on a culinary vacation and why?
- I would travel to Korea for my culinary vacation because that is where I miss the most.
- Please tell us three things you love about your restaurant.
- I love that we get to change the menu whenever we want. I love that I get to work with people I love on a daily basis.
Gian Nicola Colucci
Four Seasons Toronto View Website
Representing Toronto
Q & A with Gian Nicola Colucci
- Tell us about who or what inspired you to become a chef?
- My Father is a great cook and he gave me the inspiration for this lovely job. It slowly become my life style, thanks also to the right chef I found on my path.
- Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
- I am an adventure person! I love to travel and learn new languages and new cultures.
- If you were an Olympic athlete what sport would you compete in and why?
- I did athletics and Martial arts for long time, so I can see me in one of those sports. I'm a competitive person and I push myself over the limit.
Elia Herrera
Los Colibris View Website
Representing Toronto
Q & A with Elia Herrera
- Tell us something people don’t know about you.
- Something that people don't know about me is that I am afraid of worms.
- Please tell us three things you love about your restaurant.
- I love my team, I love the meaning of Los Colibris (love and memories), and I love my guest.
- Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
- I see myself as a very important business woman in 5 years.
Jesse Vallins
Maple Leaf Tavern | PORT View Website
Representing Toronto
Q & A with Jesse Vallins
- Tell us about who or what inspired you to become a chef?
- I fall asleep and wake up every day thinking about food.
- Please tell us three things you love about your restaurant.
- The location - we're in the east end of the city where I've lived almost my whole life. Things are getting better in the area, but there haven't always been. These days there are a lot of great places around. It's nice to be part of the change.
- The live fire grill - it gives a flavour that you can't get any other way.
- My staff - they work extremely hard and I'm nothing without them.
- Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
- I have a weak spot for sweet and sour chicken balls.
Amira Becarevic
Mira Mira View Website
Representing Toronto
Q & A with Amira Becarevic
- What do you love about cooking for a living?
- I love transforming an item from raw form to a composed dish, made from imagination, skill and love.
- What’s your favourite thing to cook at home?
- My day off ritual is going to St. Lawrence Farmer’s Market or Kensington Market and getting inspired by whatever is fresh and beautiful, vegetable and fruit wise, then building a dish around it. I’ll always try to grab something I’ve never cooked with before as a small twist so I research/learn/experience something new.
- Where would you travel to on a culinary vacation and why?
- The next stops on my travel wish list are Japan, Spain and Portugal. I’ve long envied their respective cuisines/spirits/wines and world-renowned culinary markets. I’m trying to get a group of chef friends together for an epic food pilgrimage soon.
Keith Pears
Delta Toronto View Website
Representing Toronto
Q & A with Keith Pears
- What is your favourite thing about Canada’s Great Kitchen Party?
- Well, I love food, sports and competition. Cooking is very relatable to a sport environment especially when it comes to the team aspect of things. What I love about CGKP is that I get everything I love all in one event. I get to cook food for guests that will enjoy my creations; I get to compete against some of the top chefs in Toronto; And I get to follow my own goals while participating in helping our three charities achieve their goals. It’s the perfect combination.
- Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
- When I was younger I always wanted to be a professional athlete. In order for me to get into football, my mom wanted me to take dance class. So I took Jazz/Ballet for 1 year and my mom never even put me in football until I was a teenager.
- What do you love about cooking for a living?
- I love watching and making people happy with food. I love being able to teach and give back to the young cooks and other chefs around me. I learn from them just as much as they learn from me.
Jason Oszoli
Oliver & Bonacini View Website
Representing Toronto
Q & A with Jason Oszoli
- Tell us about who or what inspired you to become a chef?
- Going to my Nagymama’s (Grandmother) for Sunday family dinners and watching how it brought such joy and family pride serving us our heritage food. To this day I still think about how much we all enjoyed her food and I want to share this experience with people on a daily basis.
- What’s your favourite thing to cook at home?
- I love pickling and canning seasonal food.
- Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
- That I am great dancer and know how to cut a rug.
Albert Ponzo
The Royal Hotel - Events & Provisions
Representing Toronto
Q & A with Albert Ponzo
- Where would you travel to on a culinary vacation and why?
- I have always wanted to delve deep into the traditions of Piemonte Italy, during white truffle season. I can only imagine the excitement at the markets and the restaurants, where they are serving the truffles. I would love to learn the local traditional recipes from the locals there. I would also be sure to take time to sneak off and see my favourite soccer team, Juventus from Torino.
- If you were an Olympic athlete what sport would you compete in and why?
- Bobsled! Looks like so much fun!
- What do you love about cooking for a living?
- I get the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and cook for them and with them. I also love to be able to be a contributing part of the community through charitable work and supporting other local farms and producers.
Ryan Crawford
Backhouse View Website
Representing Toronto
Q & A with Ryan Crawford
- Tell us about who or what inspired you to become a chef?
- I grew up in a bed and breakfast with my Mom. I always helped her in the kitchen and dreamed about cooking. My first kitchen job was with my uncle Gilly. He inspired me to become a chef. My first instructor Brian Steele helped me achieve my dream.
- Please tell us three things you love about your restaurant.
- We grow all our own vegetables.
- We cook everything on an open fire or wood oven.
- We are hidden in a shitty little strip mall.
- Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
- I have a 19 year old Daughter – Her name is Roxanne. She’s my sourdough starter!!
Rob Toppan
The Fifth Grill & Terrace View Website
Representing Toronto
Q & A with Rob Toppan
- Tell us about who or what inspired you to become a chef?
- My inspiration comes from multiple sources – I remember growing up cooking with my mom and loving it, and I’ve always had a passion for using my creativity to create something memorable for others. In terms of cuisine and style, I’ve always felt inspired by Massimo Bottura because of the way he reinvents traditional Italian food and uses his skill and creativity to create visually and tastefully spectacular food.
- What do you love about cooking for a living?
- For me, cooking is a career with endless possibilities with no limits to what you can learn or what you can accomplish – you are limited only by your imagination.
- Please tell us three things you love about your restaurant.
- There are many things I love about The Fifth, but the top 3 are:
- The ambience – the Fifth has a very unique setting where you arrive to the European style dining room and stunning rooftop patio on the 5th floor via a 100 year old freight elevator
- The staff - everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable, and they come in every day wanting to deliver great service
- The food of course! - We strive to provide a memorable and delicious culinary experience and wherever possible, we use locally sourced ingredients and partner with local suppliers to support the community while delivering quality
- What’s your favourite thing to cook at home?
- Having grown up Italian, I love making fresh pasta, it’s definitely my comfort food. It brings back memories of childhood and reminds me of home.
- Where would you travel to on a culinary vacation and why?
- Although this may seem cliché because of my background, I’d love to travel to Italy for a culinary adventure
- Italy – because of all the regional differences and specialities
- You can travel to two different cities and have the same dish and it will taste completely different
- Also like the history of food in that country – can see food the way it was produced – went with my wife to see the artisans produce parmigiano reggiano and
- Has a wide variety as well – diverse landscape and, different climates seafood, land, mountains, etc.
- Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
- Having been a chef for a few years now, I’ve found that one of my favourite things is to mentor others. In the next few years, I’d love to be helping bring up the next generation of great chefs. In the longer term, I’d love to eventually open my own Italian restaurant.
- If you were an Olympic athlete what sport would you compete in and why?
- Hockey – it’s the quintessential Canadian sport and just like in the kitchen, you rely on each member of the team to be successful.
- What is your favourite thing about Gold Medal Plates?
- I love that it brings together and supports multiple passions of mine – music, food, and sports.
- Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
- I worked briefly in Parma, Italy during my early 20s as a cook at Antica Corte Pallavicina under Chef Massimo Spigaroli and was there when the restaurant received its first Michelin star.
Ticket Packages & Prices
- Individual Ticket: $550
- Corporate Table: table of 8 guests: $5500
- VIP Athlete Hosted Table: VIP access, table of 8 guests + elite athlete from amateur, para or pro-sport: $7500
- Silver Partner: on site branding, VIP access, table of 8 guests + elite athlete from amateur, para or pro-sport: $10000
- Gold Partner: pre-event and on site branding, VIP access, special benefits, two tables of 8 guests + 2 elite athletes from amateur, para or pro-sport: $25000
(Taxes not included)
Event Co-Chairs
Scot Martin
Mark Maybank
Michael Tamblyn
Lorrie King
Partners
Thank you to the partners and supporters who provide vital support to the project!
National Presenting
Partner
National Partners
National Suppliers
Event Schedule
5:15pm – VIP Reception (Stand up format)
This reception is for Deloitte, Gold Partners, Silver Partners, VIP Athlete Hosted Table buyers, athletes and celebrities in attendance.
- Featuring Lorenzo Loseto, George Restaurant, 2017 Toronto Gold Medal winner
- Silent Auction, raffles and KP Pints
5:15pm – Early access to chef stations for VIPs
6:00pm – The Competition (stand up format)
General Admittance for corporate table and individual ticket buyers
- Tasting of the top 10 chefs’ creations
- Tasting of Canada’s best wines, spirits and KP Pints – Canada’s best craft beers
- Silent Auction, Raffles
- Athletes and celebrities in attendance
7:40 PM – Celebration Gala (sit down format)
- Enjoy decadent dessert or cheese plate and Canadian wines
- Recognition of the evening’s competing chefs, athletes and musicians
- MC – coming soon
- Entertainment – coming soon
- Crowning of the Culinary Bronze, Silver and Gold medalists
- Live Auction– Trips to include: Big White Culinary Adventure, Tuscany, Mallorca – Spain, The Caribbean (new), Morocco, Vietnam (new), NAPA (brought back!), Newfoundland through the eyes of Alan Doyle (brought back!) and the 1001 Km Cycling Challenge From Lake Louise to Whistler
- To be the first to receive this year’s auction trip details: Click Here