Canada’s Great Kitchen Party is the nation’s newest, and best, chef competition. Meet the 10 chefs vying for a spot on the podium at the Edmonton regional event on October 17. We couldn’t resist asking about their competition dishes too.
In the last 12 years, Gold Medal Plates raised over $15 million for Olympic athletes while raising the profile of Canadian chefs and fine Canadian food and wine. Now it’s time for something new—Canada’s Great Kitchen Party (CGKP).
The funds raised will fund athletes via B2ten and also provide musical instruments to children and mentorship to young culinarians.
Edmonton’s Kitchen Party is Wednesday, October 17.
For more information visit greatkitchenparty.com.
 Serge Belair Shaw Conference Centre Serge is the executive chef of the Shaw Conference Centre where he leads a team of kitchen professionals in preparing over 250,000 meals each year.“My first job was in a restaurant in an old house in the Gatineau. The kitchen there was the size of my office now.” This is his first time competing at CGKP. “I’m excited,” he says. Serge is leaning towards an aged pork dish using the whole animal. “We have a wonderful supplier in Alberta, Bear and the Flower, and we are now able to age meats at the Shaw, bringing a whole new dimension of flavour.” |
 Jordan McEwen Century Hospitality Group Century has a unique way of pulling their team together for Kitchen Party. “We hold an Iron Chef-style challenge with all of our cooks,” says Jordan. “Whoever wins works with me to develop the dish and will be my sous chef on October 17.” Though Jordan has helped other chefs in their drive for gold, this is his first as head. “I’m looking forward to being there with other chefs in the city. I have big shoes to fill.” (Both Paul Shufelt and Tony Le, former culinary directors at Century, were veteran competitors.) “I hope to grow our food culture within Century and ultimately bring home the gold.” |
 Levi Biddlecombe Why Not Café & Bar Chef Levi Biddlecombe’s experience includes Le Beaujolais in Banff, Zinc at the AGA, a food truck and an appearance on Chopped Canada. This is his second time competing and the first with his new restaurant, the Why Not Café in the university area.“My apprentice, Kelton Stewart, as well as three other exec chefs with a good amount of experience—Jason Oliver, Trevor Moan from Three Boars and Matt Lucas will be with me. I am thinking about octopus and we are looking at pairing it with the 2018 winery of the year, Three Sisters from Niagara.” |
 Scott Downey The Butternut Tree Chef Scott Downey opened The Butternut Tree last year. “I’m really excited. This is my first culinary competition—curious to see what it’s all about. It focuses on Canadian talent, Canadian ingredients and Canadian wines which goes right along with what we are doing at The Butternut Tree.” “What’s the dish? I have so many ideas sometimes my head hurts. I’m thinking; what ingredients are at their best? Flavour profiles? Maybe vegetarian? We are looking at Savard Wines, or Bella.“I will have most of our team there, including Michel Neema, Dylan Harris and Darshan Goverkar.” |
 JP Dublado Seorak Teppan & Bar Restaurant JP went to SAIT and has spent most of his career in Calgary (River Café and a stint in Duncan Lee’s kitchen at Vintage). He joined Seorak this summer and has been busy reorganizing the kitchen and developing new menus. This is his first competition under his name. He competed as part of the River Café team and also helped chef Jinhee Lee in Calgary the year she took gold.“I am classically trained. Now I’m exploring Asian flavours and techniques. When I was at Wildflower I would be at the farmers’ market every Saturday for inspiration. Now I go to T&T and think, what’s that?” |
 Davina Moraiko Rge Rd Davina, the chef de cuisine at Rge Rd, competed at Gold Medal Plates four times as a part of Blair Lebsack’s (exec chef/owner, Rge Rd) crew. “I accepted the invitation this year because I want to have a lot of fun,” she says. “I love the sense of community the event creates.” Davina has chosen the wine, Red Rooster Riesling 2016 (“it made me salivate in a good way”) but hasn’t finalized the dish yet. Nor her team. “I’ll be bringing Jared Dunn, our day sous chef and Anthony Guy, chef de partie for sure, that’s all I know right now.” |
 Jesse Morrison-Gauthier The Common “I’m excited! I’m thinking Prairie meets Prince Edward Island for the dish. I’m working with Summerhill Cipes Brut, which plays well with the salinity of the ocean flavours.”Jesse’s team includes Grandin sous chef Mark Nazal and also his fiancé Tressa Heckbert.“I’m super-pumped to be here this year. I last competed in 2012. Learned a lot from that dish. Now things are more balanced, which shows the growth over the past six years. Youthful exuberance is now seasoned by maturity.” |
 Vikram Redgaonkar Highlands Golf Club Chef Redgaonkar is learning the unique challenges of running a kitchen at a private club, vastly different than working with chef Ryan O’Flynn at the Westin.“Often members just want the basics, chicken wings after a round of golf and life is good. My goal is to build relationships with members. And to work with high quality ingredients—lamb from Four Whistle Farms, Bison from Alberta Bison Ranch, cheese from Winding Road, tomatoes and cucumbers and flowers from our own garden.“I am working on a rabbit dish and don’t have the winery or wine quite yet, but I’m leaning towards Gerhringer.” |
 Lindsay Porter London Local Lindsay competed several times at Gold Medal Plates, taking the bronze medal at her inaugural outing.“It will be exciting to see the new Kitchen Party concept. I’m looking forward to it, my name, my restaurant. I really want to hone in on a dish that inspires me. I’ve been talking with Ryan O’Flynn and I’m thinking mackeral, possibly with a wine from Tinhorn Creek.”Lindsay is bringing along her sous Greg Sweeney; and cooks Leslie Tannahill and Michael Moore. “My partner Yvonne and my boyfriend Adam just for the fun of it. He’s a pretty good schmoozer.” |
 Medi Tabtoub Buco Windermere Medi’s food journey has taken him all around the world, beginning in Paris where he trained in classical French cuisine, to Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe and everywhere in between. After moving to Vancouver with his Canadian wife, Medi worked at Blue Water Cafe and did a stage at Hawksworth. He moved to Edmonton to be closer to extended family and explore all the opportunities that a rapidly growing city has to offer.“This year, my inspiration is my daughter Josephine,” says Medi. “My goal is to make a dish that is feminine, colourful and using local product. For sure it will be a red wine but not sure what yet.” |