Viewing entries by
Brian Gagnon

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April 14, 2025, Chef Bailey Mann

Bailey Mann is a dedicated and passionate culinary professional with a strong foundation in both fine dining and high-volume kitchen operations. With hands-on experience at esteemed establishments such as Elmhurst Golf and Country Club and the Tundra Grill at Assiniboine Park Conservancy, Bailey has honed exceptional kitchen leadership, food preparation, and banquet service skills. A bilingual talent fluent in French and English, Bailey thrives in dynamic environments, demonstrating adaptability, teamwork, and a keen eye for detail. Currently advancing culinary expertise at Red River Polytechnic, Bailey is committed to continuous learning, excellence in service, and crafting unforgettable dining experiences.

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March 10, 2025 Chef Leonard Streilein & Regena Rumancik

Leonard Streilein

Leonard learned from Austrian grandparents the importance of food and drink. They shared their love of creating good Austrian food in the North End of Winnipeg, from Hesslers’ Meat & Grocery. As a young boy, Leonard learned from his grandfather, a Master Butcher and Sausage maker from Vienna, the skills to make many types of fresh and smoked sausages. From his grandmother, who was always adding a plate setting or two to the weekly dinner table (including those who couldn’t pay their grocery tab), he learned how food and drink creates a community of sharing.

There is nothing finer than a glass of wine, good music, a few dance moves and cooking in the kitchen! Over the years, Leonard has challenged himself to learn and cook dishes from all over the world, including Thai, Chinese, South Asian, Mexican, Spanish, French, Italian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern. One of his bucket lists, now completed, was to visit all of the major wine growing regions of the world. While travelling, he would rent places with cooking facilities and visit local markets, cooking truly “farm to table” meals in other countries. Even while on the Camino de Santiago he cooked, when possible, for not only himself and Regena, but also for other weary pilgrims.

He is the head of a great cooking team at his local church, doing Pasta Nights for 120, pancake and brunch breakfasts, and Soup and Sandwich Sundays. During Covid, he began the A-Z of cooking dishes, starting with a particular country letter and cooking a dish from each country. However, his favourite go-to’s are still Italian meals and of course, the comfort foods of Austria.

Regena Rumancik

Regena is a baker and cake decorator, having made her first wedding cake at 16. When Leonard met her and saw her rows of canning jars, he knew they were meant for each other!

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February 10, 2025, Chef Scott Hyndman

First Vice President Scott Hyndman


Scott Hyndman is a new member to the C.F.C.C. this year and he's brought his energy and enthusiasm for local support and sustainability to the board as 1st Vice President.


His Culinary career culminated in 2021, when he was inducted into the international gastronomic society, the Confrerie de la Chaine Des Rotisseurs as Chef Rotisseur.


Scott is passionately focused on trying to provide solutions to the growing challenges with our current food system. In 2016, he co-founded an indoor vertical farm to provide operators a locally produced herb and microgreen solution that was reliable and consistent year round.


His experience running a small business and expertise in the culinary industry led to his current role with Pratts Food Service as Territory Manager, where he's able to help food operators find solutions to their daily challenges.


He has spent over 25 years in the food service industry, with Executive Chef experience ranging from construction camps and remote fly-in fishing lodges to Winnipeg Art Gallery and ultimately at Southwood Golf and Country Club, where he and his kitchen brigade hosted the Summer Chaine Des Rotisseur Dinner in August 2017.


His goal is to improve the visibility of Winnipeg's Chapter by incorporating public meeting venues and increased efforts to support our local culinary community.


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January 13, 2024, Chef Agustin "Tito Boy" Doming & Jackie Wild

The origins of Tito Boy begins like many familiar immigrant stories.


As a young boy growing up in the rural farmlands of the Philippine province of Southern Leyte, my father spent countless hours in the kitchen with his mother and siblings while his father cut lumber to provide for their family. My father stayed at home learning many traditional Philippine cooking techniques while dreaming of building a better life and legacy for his family in the future.

In the 1980s, he met a charming and fiercely independent woman – Tita Jean, my beautiful mother – whom he married in civil court. Once married, he set off to his new Canadian home in Winnipeg as a sponsored spouse and newcomer.

Throughout his career, my father wore an impressive number of hats. He worked as a wholesale grocery store general manager, an assembly line worker, a machine operator, a healthcare aide and, most notably, a chef and baker. For many years, he dreamed of opening his own restaurant where he could share the delicious, aromatic and hearty foods from his home country. 

In 2021, my father’s dream came true when he opened a small restaurant in Parañaque City, Manila. Now, a year later, he is setting up shop closer to his Winnipeg home as the culinary curator behind the menu of Tito Boy Restaurant.


About Jackie Wild:

Jackie Wild is a seasoned communications, marketing and business development professional with nearly 15 years of experience managing successful community-focused initiatives within the public, private and non-profit sectors. As a racialized woman in business, she understands the critical role anti-racism advocacy plays in achieving inclusive and equitable outcomes for her kababayan (fellow country people) and the broader community.

In 2022, Jackie launched Tito Boy Restaurant, Winnipeg’s first south-end Philippine eatery offering traditional and fusion culinary creations. The business named after her father Agustin “Tito Boy” Doming represents the intersectionality of different generations and what it means to be a Philippine-Canadian in the modern era.

A champion of community building, Jackie serves as the President of the Manitoba Filipino Business Council, leading their vision to serve as the prime community resource hub for Philippine business people and professionals. Through grassroots outreach across the province, they are building a sustainable future for the next generation of local leaders by creating an inclusive community through consultation and collaboration.

A passionate community and civic engagement leader, Jackie volunteers as vice-chair of Manitoba Museum, vice-chair of Mabuhay District, interview chair of Loran Scholars Foundation, board member of Health Sciences Centre Foundation, board member of United Way Winnipeg and member of CancerCare Manitoba Community Connections Committee.

In 2020, Jackie was named one of CBC Manitoba’s Future 40 recipients and featured in the Filipino Journal’s 20 Filipinos to Watch list.

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November 18, 2024 Chef Dale Stratton All Season's Catering

I am very excited to be the guest Chef for Les Marmiton’s.  This is my first experience at doing one of these types of dinners.    I am an experience-based chef looking to challenge for my Red Seal as my next venture in the next few months.  I began my career at the Olive Garden.  I started as a line cook and worked my way to become the Culinary Manager.  After the Olive Garden I moved away from the kitchen with jobs as a Banquet Captain and had become a certified Wedding Planner. After 3 years I could not resist my passion for food and needed to get back to what I love.  

 

I worked with Chef Heather Porteous (HGTV Hoarder House Flippers) as well as Chef Santiago Marie while I worked under them at Boulevard Pub and Bistro until 2019.  I then Started at All Season's Catering, working with Chef Brent and Daisy Prockert.  We specialize in Wedding and Corporate Catering.  Working with Chef Brent has helped develop my skills and to step out of my comfort zone.  So here we are.  

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October 7, 2024, Chef Chris Poitrias (Saffrons Restaurant)

Chef Chris Poitrias has worked at Civitas restaurant, Casa Bianca and Real Crue Catering for the film Industry. He has been working for 28 years, of which 17 years at Saffrons Restaurant with a passion for international cuisine.

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Sept 9, 2024, Chef Sergei Didenko

Sergei Didenko is the esteemed Chef de Cuisine for True North Hospitality and a team chef for the Winnipeg Jets. With over 17 years of experience, Chef Didenko has honed his skills in Middle Eastern and Russian cuisine. His culinary journey began in humble circumstances as a dishwasher, but his passion and determination drove him to rise through the ranks to become a head chef. He holds a Red Seal certification and received formal training from Red River College culiary arts, which has complemented his diverse experience in the industry.

 

Chef Didenko has built a distinguished career by continuously learning and expanding his expertise. His leadership is evident in his dedication to sharing knowledge with his staff and his ability to stay organized in high-pressure environments. He has extensive experience from his nine years at the Jewish Community Center, where he prepared events and conducted cooking lessons on Jewish cuisine.  in addition, Chef Didenko is involved with the education program Colleges like- Red River College, Maple collegiate and Tecvoc College as a mentor chef for culinary art students.

 

In addition to his work at True North Hospitality and with the Winnipeg Jets, Chef Didenko is actively involved in the culinary community as a junior president of the Chefs Federation Winnipeg Brunch. His contributions were recognized in 2023 when he was awarded the Young Chef of the Year Award by the Canadian Culinary Federation of Chefs and Cooks (CCFCC) in Winnipeg.

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