“Being a chef is thinking on your feet, ready to produce and perform at any time with what you have. Chefs in the Competition need to step it up!” - Chef Ray Bear
Ray Bear will host the GREAT CATCH Chef Competition, taking place during the CATCH Nova Scotia Seafood Festival, June 19 & 20, 2010. This action-packed culinary showdown will include some of Canada’s top restaurants and chefs.
Meet the competitors
Luis Clavel, Executive Chef, Holiday Inn Harbourview, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Chef Luis Clavel was originally born in Puerto Rico and has lived in most countries in Central America and is now a proud Nova Scotian. Chef Clavel has received many awards; including: the Alex Clavel Bursary Award from Taste of Nova Scotia (2004), placed 1st with team Atlantic Provinces in Miami Beach, Florida in the International Americas Chef Competition (2006), placed 3rd in the International Chowder Competition held in Prince Edward Island (2007), placed 1st in a Planet Organic Mentor Apprentice Competition (2006), won a Gold Medal at Atlantic Province Competition with Team Nova Scotia (2007 & 2008), won the CRFA Iron Chef Atlantic Competition in Moncton, New Brunswick, “Chef of the Year” for the Nova Scotia Association of Chefs and Cooks(2008), won the 2009 Competing Chef of the Year in Newfoundland and will be representing the Atlantic Provinces in Kellowna, British Columbia at the National Competition.
Peter Dewar, Professional Chef/ Teacher, Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Peter Dewar instructs at NSCC in Kentville, and can be seen cooking on “Live at 5″. He is team manager of the Gold Medal winning Culinary Team Nova Scotia and his future goal is to be a member of Culinary Team Canada. In 2007 and 2008 Peter won the International PEI Shellfish Chef Challenge. In 2008 Peter represented the Atlantic Region at the CCFCC Chefs Challenge in Montreal and took first place and the title of Competing Chef of the Year for Canada. In 2009 Peter won the Presidents Citation Award from the Nova Scotia Chef’s Association. Peter has also coached his junior team to numerous provincial and Atlantic hot salon titles.
BeeChoo Char, Executive Chef, GIO, Halifax, Nova Scotia A graduate of the Culinary Arts program at the Nova Scotia Community College, Bee graduated top of her class. Bee has shone in numerous competitions, receiving the prestigious Alex Clavel Educational Award and winning a Gold Medal three times with Team Nova Scotia. She has also travelled widely to compete, and recently won yet another Gold Medal at the International Competition in Miami, Florida.
Nitin Mehra, Chef, East India Co. , Ottawa, Ontario Nitin Mehra is East India Company’s newest addition to the Restaurant team. Nitin has spent the last five years traveling between Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Montreal working to improve his skills as an Indian Chef. In this time he has earned degrees as a chef from Algonquin Culinary as well ad Le Cordon Blue. Nitin is also a trained Sommelier which gives him the unique ability to properly match the delicate flavours of Indian cuisine to the wine world.
Tom Malycha, Executive Chef, Spirit Catering, Toronto, Ontario Chef Tom Malycha, has 10 years in the hospitality industry, most recently being a personal chef and private caterer to Canada’s business elite. Tom has world-wide experience having worked in several of London’s top kitchens, toured France’s top wine regions and cooking on an organic farm on the remote Baltic Coast of Poland. Closer to home he has worked at under the tutelage of Chef Anthony Walsh at Canoe Restaurant with stints at Avalon & North 44 Catering. His repertoire ranges from simple family style meals, to 7 course exclusive tasting menus and canapé parties. Chef Tom’s culinary offerings represent the best of the season and local markets, mixed with a modern global culinary influence.
Roger Andrews, Chef Instructor, College of the North Atlantic, St. John’s, NL Roger Andrews has a love of cooking competitions and has garnered two second place finishes at the PEI shellfish competition in 2007 and 2009, a second place finish at the CCFCC Canadian Chef Challenge in 2006, as well as being a member of Culinary Team Canada since 2006. He is currently training with the National team for the Expoghast World Culinary Cup to be held in Luxemborg in November 2010. Roger is also active with his local CCFCC Branch in St. John’s and remains active from an Atlantic regional standpoint. His branch honoured him with the Culinarian of the year title in 2006 and he went on to represent the region at the National Championship.
Jesse Vergen, Executive Chef and Owner, Ale House, Saint John, N.B. Jess Vergen is the chef/owner of the soon-to-be opened Farmers Hill and an organic farmer in one of Quispamsis, New Brunswick’s last standing farms. Jesse is a loud voice for New Brunswick cuisine and with his classic French training, eye on international trends, and intense passion; he is fast becoming one of New Brunswick’s culinary leaders. His training at the Dubrulle French culinary school in British Columbia pushed him to stage in some of Vancouver’s best kitchens, leading to a journey to work in a small bistro in Paris, France. When he got back to Canada, he spent time working in kitchens in Quebec, Nova Scotia, and his home province of New Brunswick. Jesse is not just into cooking food, but the process of planting and working the land to have total control of the quality of the food. Known for cooking with local products, he picks fish up right off the boat, whole animals from small farms or hunting though the local markets for the freshest products. Jesse is also the Manager of Culinary Team New Brunswick and with the team won the senior ACE compition in Newfoundland, bringing the trophy back to the province for the first time in 23 years. In his spare time, you can catch him on Rogers TV doing cooking demos, Cooking at fundraisers like chefs for UNICEF, OCIA’s organic banquet, Boys & Girls club, or at the farm with his wife Kim raising their three children and weeding their 50 foot green house.
Erwin Palo, Executive Sous Chef, Westin Nova Scotian Hotel, Halifax, N.S. Born and raised in the Philippines, Erwin Palo traveled and led different hotels and restaurant in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and now Canada. He has also competed in various culinary competitions across Asia and Canada. Some of his achievements include Gold medal Atlantic provinces Culinary Salon Team Competition (2009) , Silver in Escoffier Culinary Salon in Toronto (2009), Gold (second place) at the Atlantic Silver medal, two Gold and Bronze medal in Escoffier Culinary Salon in Toronto (2008), Gold (second place) at the Atlantic provinces Culinary Salon Team Competition 2008, silver and bronze in the Escoffier Culinary salon held in Toronto (2007), and various other medals.
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