Always ready to sink my teeth into new a project (or menu item!). - SUBMITTED PHOTO ADAM KOCH
My career in foodservice spans the better part of 25 years. I’m from Medicine Hat but lived in Toronto from 2004 until last summer. I originally went to university to become a teacher, which reflects the way I like to help and interact with people. I am a sponge for information, and an absolute nerd for all things space, politics, music and food.
At the beginning of my career, I crossed bridges and burned most of them behind me. I read Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential as an instruction manual and did all the things you see on the Food Network. When I look back now, I cringe. Somewhere along the way I blinked and grew up into a man, meaning I had to figure some things out. I padded up my resume and oversold myself to a renowned college in Oakville, Ont. I got the job as Executive Chef running the catering and foodservice operations for their three campuses. The scope was far bigger than anything I had experienced, but in my eight-year tenure I helped build an awesome team that pushed creative boundaries. I was headhunted in 2018 to build the foodservice program in tech giant Shopify’s three Toronto offices, which lasted until March 2020. I think we all know what happened next.
The pandemic gave me time to slow down and think about my long-term goals. I decided to relocate back home, and plan for the back nine of my career. Long story long, I’m here with the city now and feel like I’ve hit my stride.
Despite all my experiences and skillset, I sometimes don’t feel like a chef. I am a blender surgeon and an amateur plumber. I am a renegade chemist, a big brother and a sub-par psychotherapist. I’m a collector of half-drank water bottles, and a disposal mechanism for plating mistakes. I’m the MacGyver of leftovers and a soup sorcerer. I find things in the fridge that we “definitely don’t have any more of.” I can’t remember why I came around the corner, but I can recall the last 43 orders. I count my life in produce deliveries and coffee spoons.
But this isn’t about me – not really. What I ultimately want to talk about, and what I think this crazy ride has taught me is a lot about inspiration and a little about patience. I carry with me a lifetime of lessons, not the least of which is to be ruthless and transparent in evaluating my own performance. I would go through the wall for my staff, and I expect the same of them for me and the guests we serve. I want people who work on my teams to be hungry for a fresh perspective on hospitality. I’ve learned to be aggressively inclusive, and to give space and oxygen to people from all backgrounds and experiences. “Chef Culture” can be toxic and damaging, and I am trying hard to be the solution instead of a part of the problem.
I know a lot about this industry, but I’m humble enough to know there’s always more to learn. I currently have a team of over 100 people and oversee food and beverage operations for Co-op Place and the Esplanade. A crew that large can be challenging to manage effectively, but I try to inspire people to develop a passion for this industry. Many of them, whether they know it now or not, will stay in it for most of their lives.
This industry is dynamic and challenging, and I love every minute of it!
See our hard work in action! Come and grab some food and drinks from our concessions before the Cirque du Soleil show, OVO, June 1-5 at Co-op Place.
