Printed in Toronto's 'Metro News'
June 10th and August 19th 2003

The Foodservice Industry reaches 1 million employees ….The CRFA (Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association) reported recently that the hospitality industry has reached a record number of employees making it one of Canada’s largest employment sectors. Human Resources Development Canada continues to fear a shortage of skilled labour; they recently held their annual Skills Canada competition in Kitchener, ON. These headlines have a common theme: A Growing Demand for Chefs!

When you consider becoming a Chef, consider the following career opportunities:
· Personal Chef (canadianpersonalchefalliance.com)
· Food Stylist
· Caterer
· Recipe Development/Test Kitchen
· Food Promotions and Demonstrations
· Special Events Chef

The culinary industry has never been this exciting.

At their recent convention, the Canadian Federation of Chefs and Cooks voted to change their name to the Canadian Culinary Federation in keeping with the growing list of culinary careers and diversity in the industry. Although the traditional careers continue to grow, these new and exciting possibilities in culinary arts open countless doors to new graduates.

The newest face in the culinary scene is the Personal Chef. Terry Henderson (President of the Canadian Personal Chef Alliance) is breaking new ground in Canada. Having “cheffed” for such celebrities as Denzel Washington & Brittany Murphy, Henderson sees a huge opportunity in this field. Personal Chefs are a staple in Europe and the U.S., but are just making their entrance into the Canadian culinary world. Recent articles in Canadian Business and Flare (among others) have increased awareness of the Personal Chef.

What does it take to foray into this dynamic career path?
A Personal Chef must be a great cook and an astute businessperson.
Along with a solid culinary background, Henderson is committed to increasing the professional level of his member Chefs. Henderson has, in partnership with Liaison College, developed Canada’s first and only Personal Chef Diploma Program. The program is designed to enhance a Chef’s culinary skills by giving them the additional skills they will need to succeed in the Personal Chef business. Included in these skills are marketing and promotion, in-home safety and food handling, food packaging and presentation, effective menu planning, proposal writing and much more. In addition to culinary training, the Personal Chef Diploma Program will enable the graduate to confidently enter into their new career as a Personal Chef.

Since this article was published, The Chef Alliance has undergone many changes, and is now one of the largest Chef organisations in the world.  Chef Sonia is the current President, and all enquiries should be directed to her attention.

All Articles published about The Chef Alliance/ our chefs