in Competitions, Restaurants, Scholarship

Eight young Canadian chefs advance to National Finals of Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship

After four exciting Regional Heats across Canada, finalists have been selected to compete for the chance to win $10,000 grand prize

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After heated competitions in Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto throughout the month of May, eight finalists have been chosen to compete at the National Finals taking place in Vancouver this October. Representing Calgary are Trevor Jerram & Eric Wilson; representing Vancouver are Tyler Prevette & Ben Miller; representing Montreal are Vincent Baronnat & Camilo Lapointe-Nascimento; and representing Toronto are Aravind Sundararaj & Daniel Angus – each competitor is now that much closer to the $10,000 grand prize and coveted title of Canada’s Top Young Chef.

“The level of talent at the Regional Heats this month far exceeded our expectations,” says Scholarship founder and judge Chef David Hawksworth. “We are incredibly excited to see what these young chefs bring to the table at the finals, and look forward to seeing how they take the feedback from the judges and apply it to the next competition.”

Each heat saw ten aspiring chefs put their kitchen skills to the test, creating unique dishes using only a limited pantry. While each chef brought their best, it was ultimately the top two that blew the judges away in the blind tasting challenge. Also considered in the decision, all finalists showcased incredible poise, skill, and an attention to detail in the kitchen as they worked against the ticking clock.

Calgary, May 4th, 2019 at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT):

  • Trevor Jerram, I Need a Chef Agency – roasted poussin breast, globe artichoke, spring vegetables, olive mash, sauce barigoule
  • Eric Wilson, Murrieta’s Bar & Grill – stuffed poussin, folded agnolotti, carrot, asparagus, hunter’s sauce

Vancouver, May 10th, 2019 at Vancouver Community College (VCC):

  • Tyler Prevette, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar – duo of poussin, stuffed leek, shitake pommes anna, peas, fava beans, chicken emulsion
  • Ben Miller, West Restaurant – poussin breast, duxelles leg presse, English pea fritter, carrot mousse, fava bean purée, jus

Montreal, May 23rd, 2019 at Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ):

  • Vincent Baronnat, Le Petit Mousso – roasted poussin crown, glazed leg, pea and morel salad, potato, bouquet garni
  • Camilo Lapointe-Nascimento, Le Mousso – chicken pot pie, carrot purée, carrot roll, beurre blanc

Toronto, May 25th, 2019 at George Brown College:

Scholarship founder Chef David Hawksworth and kitchen judge Chef Chris Stewart were joined by an esteemed panel of judges in each city who used their extensive culinary expertise to narrow down the competition. Calgary included: Certified Master Chef & Culinary Instructor at SAIT, Chef Michael Allemeier; Pastry Chef Instructor at SAIT, Christine Beard; Chef Liana Robberecht of WinSport; and Culinary Director & Owner of Rouge Restaurant, Chef Paul Rogalski. Vancouver included: Chef Lee Cooper of L’Abattoir, Coquille Fine Seafood & No.1 Gaoler’s Mews; Chef Scott Jaeger of The Pear Tree Restaurant; Development Chef at Hawksworth Restaurant Stephanie Noel; Media personality Mijune Pak; and Chef Adam Pegg of La Quercia. Montreal included: Chef Jérémie Bastien of Monarque; Chef Derek Dammann of Maison Publique & McKiernan; Culinary Professor of ITHQ, Chef Vincent Lavoie-Beaulé; Chef Marc-André Royal of Le St-Urbain & La Bête à Pain; and Chef Marie-Fleur St-Pierre of Tapeo. Toronto included: Culinary Professor at George Brown College, Chef Riley Bennett; Chef & Owner of Il Covo Ryan Campbell; Chef Julien Laffargue of Ricarda’s; and Chef Mark McEwan of The McEwan Group.

The National Finals will be held in Vancouver in October and will include an exciting schedule of mentorship and professional development opportunities including dinners, workshops, and field trips in the days leading up to the Black Box competition. Two trips are taking place in June for the first time with this year’s finalists travelling to Calgary for a week-long educational tour in partnership with Canada Beef and the Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence, as well as Chef Hawksworth and Scholarship alumni travelling to Italy for four days to explore the unique food and wine experiences of the region. These opportunities are offered as part of the Scholarship’s goal to build a community where resources, ideas, information, and advancements in the culinary field can be shared.

The Scholarship would like thank sponsors such as Air Canada, Cacao Barry, Canadian Linen, Club House for Chefs, Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry, Gordon Food Service, Italian Trade Commission, Push Operations, San Pellegrino, Select Wines, and Zwilling J.A. Henckels for their support of this program as it continues to encourage the culinary stars of tomorrow.

For more information visit hawksworthscholarship.com and follow along on Instagram at @hawkscholarship to keep up with the latest news and more about the chefs and judges.

Note to media: Event photographs available via Dropbox