In August of 1980 at the young age of 18, I emigrated to Canada from England with my family. After working in trades around the Hamilton area, I moved to North Bay in 1986 to apprentice for Millwright and took a part time job as a cook. This sparked my lifelong passion for creating dishes and evoked a natural talent I found within myself for everything to do with the restaurant business. Within 2 years of my first kitchen position, I had elevated myself to running both the food costs and cooking aspect of that kitchen with no formal training.  I knew during this time that I had a calling and so felt an urge to reach for new opportunity. So, after saying a fond farewell to the place that gave me foundations in the kitchen, I began cooking at the Ball & Quench Pub in North Bay, Ontario for a season. It was during that year I met my mentor, Chef Wayne, who encouraged me towards my first experience in Fine Dining at the Pinewood Golf & Country Club where I learned a great deal about elevated cooking and different cuisines.

It was not long before new opportunity again came in the form of a resort in the Kawarthas needing a Chef to run the kitchen. As it was Seasonal, I took a job off-season at the Best Western in Coburg, Ontario where I then had the opportunity to get formal training for my Chef Papers at Sir Sandford Fleming College.

During the late 1990’s there were many Culinary Competitions that I proudly competed in, and was lucky enough to win multiple Gold medals from the various competitions in and around Toronto, Ontario. Around this time I also wrote my Red Seal and in 1999 I started my first company “The Travelling Chef” where I catered to clients from Cobourg to North Bay and all the way to Hamilton – we travelled a lot in those days!

From 6 course meals to buffet, plated service and everywhere in between, the 9 years I had operating The Travelling Chef were busy ones filled with wonderful dishes and happy clients which stretched all of my culinary muscles and gave me much experience to draw upon.

The next step was to open a restaurant, naturally! So, in 2008 I opened “The Spice Of Life” Fine Dining Bar & Bistro. After 7 years of being a leading restaurateur in the area, life then led me to Barrie Ontario where I joined Cara Foods as a Manager and have worked for them ever since. But the urge to do “something more” was still within me so after being asked by my son to make a special cake for my grandson, I began to make cakes for other relatives who’s friends also wanted cakes, which has now expanded into making bigger, more elaborate cakes in 3D fondant to a wide range of customers for an innumerable number of creations.

I have been in this industry for over 35 years now and have never lost my passion for bringing happiness to people through my food creations. I am so excited to see what my new venture, Chef2Go Cakes and Catering has in store for the future and I look forward with excitement to share my experience and creations with you!