Whether you are a Food Network superfan, aspiring chef, or simply a fan of cooking and fine dining, you are also likely aware of who the top Canadian chefs are.
Canada is home to top celebrity chefs who come on-screen on television and social media to influence and inspire people with their cooking. While their work in the media may have you thinking that cooking is a glamorous profession, the reality is that years of hard work and hustling in culinary schools and restaurants are part of what got them there.
This article is all about the culinary style and achievements of top Canadian celebrity chefs. Let's take a look at their exciting careers.
Susur Lee, Toronto's Best Chef
Few chefs are more familiar to Canadian foodies than Susur Lee, also known as the "father of fusion" for his unique blend of Southeast Asian and French culinary techniques.
Lee got a humble start as an apprentice at the age of 16 in one of Hong Kong's most prestigious hotels, where he learned the skills of French cooking. He later moved to Canada, where he gained recognition as prominent restauranteur in Toronto.
Lee's Toronto restaurants, Lee Restaurant and Lee Kitchen, are celebrated by locals and foodies alike for innovative flavours and spectacular presentation. Previous Toronto restaurants have also included Bent, Fring's, and Susur. Lee's company, Lee Restaurant Group, also currently operates Tunglok Heen in Singapore.
Beyond being a successful restauranteur, Lee made major impacts in the culinary scene through appearances on shows like Top Chef Masters and Chopped Canada. Awards and recognitions include:
- Lifetime Achievement Award by Canada's 100 Best
- Ten Chefs of the Millenium, Food and Wine Magazine
- Five Diamond Award by AAA/CAA for Susur
- James Beard Foundation Award
- Chef of the Year, Cuisine Canada
- Top Ten Chefs in the World, Food and Wine Magazine
Matty Matheson, Chef and Storyteller
Few people have made a mark in both the restaurant scene and Hollywood quite like Matty Matheson. Known for his larger-than-life personality on screen and in the culinary world, Matheson became a household name when he appeared on the Emmy-award winning series The Bear as the character of Neil Fak, show producer, and culinary consultant.
Matheson was born in Saint John, New Brunswick and raised in Fort Erie, Ontario. He developed his cooking skills at Toronto's popular Le Select Bistro and La Palette, before becoming the executive chef at restaurant Parts & Labour.
His first television appearances were on Vice's Munchies and as a host on the culinary travel show, Dead Set on Life. Separating himself from the Food Network shows and celebrity chefs, Matheson developed a unique fan following.
Matheson opened a number of successful restaurants and pop-ups around Toronto and Fort Erie, often partnering with other chefs such as his Le Select mentor Rang Nguyen. They include:
Maker Pizza
Matty Matheson's Meat + Three
Matty's Patty's
Ca Phe Rang
Fonda Balam
Rizzo's House of Parm
Matheson has also published cookbooks, including Matty Matheson: A Cookbook, in 2018, and Home Style Cookery in 2020. Beyond cooking and television, Matheson is a vocal supporter of mental health and addiction awareness.
Lynn Crawford, One of the Original Celebrity Chefs
Toronto born Lynn Crawford grew up in the neighbourhood of Willowdale and later the neighbouring suburb of Richmond Hill. After high school, she initially planned to graduate from the University of Guelph for Fine Arts but soon discovered she wanted a life in the culinary world. She then trained at George Brown College's Culinary Arts program.
Her career made its first breakthrough with a stint the upscale Four Seasons Hotel, where she worked in the Montreal, New York, and Toronto locations. She earned the prestigious title of Executive Chef, and became known for her impeccable service, attention to detail, and communication with clients.
Her career to a turn toward chef celebrity status with appearances on food television programs, such as Iron Chef, and her own show, Pitchin' In. She became a Canadian Iron Chef in 2018 alongside fellow superstar chefs Susur Lee and Rob Feenie. Crawford has also appeared on shows like Top Chef Masters, Restaurant Makeover, and Chopped Canada.
She opened restaurant Ruby Watchco in Toronto's upscale Riverside neighbourhood in 2010, and The Hearth in Toronto Pearson Airport.
Learn more about celebrity chef Lynn Crawford's many television appearances.
Outside the culinary skills of Lynn Crawford, she is also the author of several cookbooks, some of which includes:
- "Lynn Crawford's Pitchin' In: 100 Great Recipes from Simple Ingredients" published in 2012.
- "At Home with Lynn Crawford: 200 of My Favorite Easy Recipes."
Throughout her career, Lynn Crawford has won several awards, spoken in conferences, and continues to be celebrated within and outside Canada.
Jamie Kennedy: One of the Most Famous Canadian Chefs
Henry James Kennedy, popularly known as Jamie Kennedy, doubles as a chef and an activist. He was born into a humble home that saw him go around events to serve food to get something to fend for himself. Born in Don Mills, an area of Toronto, Kennedy has been interested in cooking right from a tender age.
As a young boy, he was either in a restaurant serving guests that come in or sitting in front of the television, watching his favourite TV cooks share their experiences. He was passionate about cooks and what they do.
At age ten, when Kennedy and his family moved from Don Mills to New Haven, Connecticut, he enrolled in high school and played an active role in the school's culinary club. After graduating secondary school, he returned to Toronto to attend George Brown College's school of Culinary Arts.
As soon as he completed his three-year course in George Brown College, he left for Europe, where he served as a journeyman in Switzerland alongside his friend Michael Stadtländer. During his stay in Europe, he also worked for several restaurants to improve his culinary skills and versatility.
In 1980, Jamie Kennedy took the bold step of returning to Canada, alongside his friend Michael Stadtländer. Upon arrival, they were immediately employed as co-head chefs at Scaramouche, where they served with diligence. They introduced the "nouvelle cuisine" model that contributed to putting the restaurant on the global map.
In 1985, Kennedy left his position at Scaramouche and established his restaurant, Palmerston. The outstanding feature of this restaurant was the healthy relationship it has with small farms and local farmers in the region.
In 1989, Jamie Kennedy and his friend Michael Stadtländer launched the Fork and Knives initiative to garner support for sustainable, local, and organic ingredients.
In 1994, Kennedy began a restaurant operation at the Royal Ontario Museum, where lunch meals were served. Kennedy has also since operated Gilead Cafe, Jamie Kennedy at the Gardiner, and Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar.
Outside being a master chef, Kennedy was also an activist who contributed his personality and time towards sustainable agriculture. He worked with several Local Food Movements in Canada and other organizations like Endangered Fish Alliance and Living Oceans Society to drive his passion.
Jamie Kennedy lives his farm-to-table ethos by operating a farm in Prince Edward County, Ontario, and fans can even try his food at J.K. Fries, located in the Wellington Community Market. He has also authored cookbooks like Jamie Kennedy's Seasons and Great Soup Empty Bowls.
Awards and recognitions include:
- Represented Canada at the “Bocuse d’Or” International Cooking Competition in Lyon, France, 1987
- Gold Award Recipient, Chef of the Year 2000, The Ontario Hostelry Institute
- Pinnacle Award Recipient, Independent Restaurateur of the Year, 2005
- Member of the Board of Directors, Stratford Chef’s School 1987-2014
- Recipient Governor General’s Award for “The Nation’s Table” Leadership Category, 2010
- Invested to the rank of Member of the Order of Canada, 2010
- Gold Award Recipient, Lifetime Achievement, Ontario Hostelry Institute, 2011
If you're looking to be a chef and activist simultaneously, Jamie Kennedy is a top Canadian celebrity chef you can model after.
Sarah Kramer: A Celebrity Vegan and Animal Rights Activist
Surprisingly, few celebrity chefs are vegan - Sarah Kramer stands out for her vegan cooking and animal rights activism.
Sarah Kramer was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan to a meat-loving father and a vegetarian mother. She lost her mother to ovarian cancer when she was ten years old and had to be raised by her father. To communicate respect for their deceased mother, Kramer's father did his best to ensure he didn't impose his meat-loving life on his children.
Before enrolling in high school, Kramer had started practicing how to be a vegan but had not fully subscribed to it. It was reported that she experimented with a meat dish while in high school, and felty guilty about it afterwards.
Her indecision about being a vegan or not was laid to rest when she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. All attempts at trying to find a solution by reading books and visiting different doctors failed. It was at this point she made a firm decision to become a vegan fully. Learn more about her career as a chef.
One of the major reasons why Sarah Kramer is rated as a top Canadian chef is not only because she chose the path of being a vegan but also because of the many amazing cookbooks credited to her name. Notable cookbooks credited to Sarah Kramer include:
- "How It All Vegan," a cookbook she co-authored with her best friend, Tanya Bernard.
- "The Garden of Vegan," a sequel to How It All Began.
- "La Dolce Vegan" published in 2005; and
- "Vegan à Go-Go!" - A vegan travel companion published in 2008.
In 2011, Sarah Kramer established her online vegan boutique, Sarah's Place, as the first vegan-driven retail online shop in Canada.
As a popular figure in the Vegan world, Sarah Kramer voiced out for the rights of animals on several television shows like "Canada AM." She also spoke about her passion and stance for animal rights in CBC and NPR, among many other radio stations.
Rob Feenie - Canada's Most Popular Iron Chef
During your cooking lessons, you most likely won't come across many iron chefs. However, it is almost impossible for you not to come across Rob Feenie. Read more about his achievements.
Feenie grew up in Vancouver and later attended the Dubrulle Culinary Institute. After graduating from the institute, Feenie had the privilege of working with some of the top restaurants in Vancouver. One was Le Crocodile, and the other was Cherry Stone Cover. He also had the privilege of working at RimRock in Whistler.
Rob Feenie is an outstanding iron chef not just in Canada alone but globally. He has won several competitions, has been nominated for different awards and has a shelf filled with many of these awards.
Many have written and spoken about Rob Feenie; he has a commendable culinary career, which has seen him rise through the ranks to become a notable chef today.
Feenie has made several appearances on different television shows in Canada and America, one of which is the Iron Chef America. He is also part of the Food Network, Canada, and host of "New Classics with Chef Rob Feenie."
Final Thoughts
These chefs are not all there is to the top Canadian chefs. If you want to learn more about the chefs we have discussed here or others, you should register for cooking classes. You don't have to go far before you get cooking lessons, as Superprof offers different options near you to choose from.
You can take online cooking lessons or hire an experienced cook and tutor from Superprof to teach you anywhere. All you need to do is visit Superprof's official website and search for "cooking classes near me" to get started.
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