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Here in Canada we don’t have much in the way of food magazines, no Saveur or Food & Wine, no Martha Stewart Living or Cook’s Illustrated. No, we might not have those big glossy tomes, but we’ve got something better. Continue »

Here we will introduce you to the young, passionate entrepreneurs behind some of the products on our shelves. These are the people who are helping to shape the way we eat with their new and innovative products.

Hall’s Kitchen

Katherine Hall, Executive Chef

At Hall’s Kitchen we believe in healthy, handcrafted vegetarian foods that are made with fresh, wholesome ingredients of the highest quality and prepared without the use of chemicals, preservatives or additives. We recently launched a new and unique line of vegan soups and stews that are doing very well in many specialty food and health food stores around Toronto and the GTA. All of our soups and stews are made fresh, are GMO free, gluten free, dairy and yeast free.

Each one of our products is also carefully made by hand, not machine, and is slow cooked in small batches in stainless steel soup kettles.

Where did you start out in the food world?

I did my apprenticeship at George Brown in Toronto in the 80’s and my first job was at the Ramada Inn. I spent 3 years at the Ramada where I worked through all the different kitchen stations including saucier, garde manger, pastry, butchery, banquet service etc. After that, I took a position with The McGill Club in Toronto as saucier and soon afterwards became Chef de Cuisine for the Accor Group – a European hotel chain (eg. Novotel). With the Accor Group I had the opportunity to train in France and then held Executive Chef titles at several major hotels, resorts and restaurants in southern Ontario.

What inspires you to do what you do?

I think that the aspects of plate design, menu and recipe development feed the creative side of my personality and knowing that people enjoy eating the food I’ve worked hard to make for them, feeds my nurturing side. Being a chef is a very satisfying career for me, it always has been. With soup in particular, they are heart warming, comfort foods. When someone is sick, people will bring them soup. There is something very healing and therapeutic about a hot bowl of soup. I also like how so many different flavours can be layered together in just one soup or stew dish.

Why make vegetarian soup?

We originally started with chicken in our Bangkok Curry Coconut soup actually, but found that the shelf life was considerably less with meat than without meat. Meat can spoil quickly and to be honest, after all the processed meat scares this past year with the listeria outbreaks etc. we just didn’t want to work with meat. I’m a “flexitarian” not a vegetarian currently, but I can see  myself becoming a vegetarian in future.

Fresh vegetables are just so much cleaner and easier to work with. People can add their own meat to our soups and stews if they want. It’s a fresher way to eat in any case. And, now the vegans have some more interesting options to eat!

What has been the biggest struggle or obstacle you’ve had to overcome in order to get your product onto shelves?

I think the biggest struggle was finding the right space to set up our production kitchen. It took months to find the right space and it was incredibly frustrating! It was like shopping for your first home all over again. We finally found this great space in the west end with lots of light, high ceilings and lots of artists as well as other small food companies and caterers around. It’s the perfect creative space for me to work and get inspired!

Here we will profile people in this province who help shape the way we eat, cook and think about food.

photo by Jo-Ann McCarthur

Doug McNish, chef

This young chef used to weigh 250 lbs. before changing his diet and going vegan. Now he heads up the kitchen at Raw Aura where his entire menu is completely raw.

Where did you start out in the food world?

My first job was at a British pub when I was 16 years  old.  I really learned how to move fast and  cook basic foods like curry, gravy and sandwiches.  It was here that I fell in love with the kitchen, the teamwork involved to make sure things run properly and the utter and complete controlled craziness of a professional cooking environment.

What changes have you seen over the years in how the people you meet feel about local farmers and food?

This is such an important issue.  Now more than ever I am finding people want to learn and understand where their food comes from.  They are seeing that spinach in a big plastic bag from California with a Frito Lay label on the back is not necessarily the best thing to put in their bodies. Documentaries like “Food Inc.” and others coming out now are showing the world that our food supply is in terrible shape and we need to do something about it now!  We tend to forget that farmers have fed people for centuries. Becasue of the advent of big corporations wanting to make more money we have sacrificed not only nutrition but families that rely on us to purchase their crops to survive.

what is your favourite vegetable?

This is a two parter.  In the winter it would have to be celery root.  It is rich, aromatic and can be made into anything from a soup, salad, puree etc.  In the warmer months I would have to say black kale.  It is loaded with the good stuff we need and can be made to taste delicious with various seasonings or just steamed with a little sea salt.

grain?

Hands down quinoa.  Being vegan and lifting weights I am always looking for healthy forms of protein.  Quinoa is a complete protein, it cooks easily and quickly and can be substituted for rice in almost any recipe.

fruit?

I love apples. Being a Canadian boy its one of the only fruits that I can always find locally grown.  They are versatile in the kitchen and have great flavour and texture.

season?

Being a chef I find the most abundance in local produce would have to be September and October for vegetables like squash, turnip, celery root and radishes.

where are some of your favourite places in Ontario for food and drink?

For a cold beer in the summer nothing beats the Black Bull for its people watching patio on Queen street.  I also love C’est What on front street.  I used to work at Jump and we would frequent that bar for its local micro breweries and the occasional Absinthe.  For food there is a little cafe in Kensington Market called Hibiscus.  They serve homemade, dairy free ice creams, gluten free crepes and the best quinoa salad in the city.  You can always find me there on my day off sipping green tea and working on recipes.

the vegan chef's before shot

Here we will profile people in this province who have helped to shape the way we eat, cook and think about food.

Rebecca LeHeup-Bucknell, connector

Rebecca LeHeup-Bucknell

Rebecca is the Executive Director for Ontario Culinary Tourism, in this role she is responsible for building relationships with farmers, communities, chefs, brewers, vintners, bakers and fishers all over the province. From a cranberry bog in Ottawa to a rustic lodge in Elmhirst – Rebecca connects media, chefs and producers with Ontario’s food sources.

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Prince Charles is pictured purchasing a bag of organic, heirloom beets as part of the Grow for The Stop campaign while touring the Royal Winter Fair recently. The campaign is one we are currently involved in promoting at Fiesta Farms.

Prince Charles buys some New Farm beets

“Nice to see the prince taking an interest in the partnership we’ve developed with The New Farm up in Creemore. In this photo you’ll notice the Prince holding a “Grow for The Stop” branded package of beets that just hit the produce aisle at Fiesta Farms this week.” says Nick Saul, the Executive Director of The Stop, who sent us the photo.

10% of proceeds go back to The Stop to purchase organic food from The New Farm for their food programs. Ensuring people who use the food banks and other food services get access to food of the highest quality.

“Just after this photo was taken,” Nick continues, “the Prince apparently tore into the bag and started in on the beets. He was overheard muttering “delicious, delicious” for the rest of his time at the royal winter fair. Camilla liked them too.”

Did any of you get a chance to see Prince Charles or Camilla during their time in Toronto? Let us know all about it. We’re big fans of his support of organic farming.