Canadian Pastry Chefs Challenge the World

By / Magazine / May 29th, 2009 / 2

Six Canadian pastry chefs are determined to put Canada on the world map at an international dessert destination. Vying for a place on Pastry Team Canada at the 2011 Coupe du Monde (World Pastry Cup) in Lyon, France, they must succeed at the Pastry Chef of the Year competition.

Each chef’s skill and proficiency will be tested on May 30 at the Canadian Culinary Federation “Taste of the Okanagan” Conference in Kelowna, British Columbia. The winning chef will demonstrate Canadian culinary excellence on the world stage. Van Houtte, roaster and distributor of gourmet coffee, is the lead sponsor of the Pastry Chef of the Year competition. Gerard Geoffrion, President of Van Houtte says, “the Pastry Chef of the Year competition is an opportunity to show our strong commitment to growing and enhancing excellence in Canadian culinary arts.”

Here are the six pastry chefs who will be competing.

Mary-Jane Feeke of Selkirk, Manitoba, a Red Seal Chef, Red Seal Baker and pastry teacher in the Culinary Program at Kildonan East Collegiate. She owns Benjamin’s Gourmet Foods.

Jean Luc Piquemal of Quebec, City, Quebec, who trained in Toulouse, France and owns Boulangerie-Patisserie La Gourmandine in Quebec. In 2005, he won the title of Pastry Chef of the Year from the Society of Chefs and Pastry Chefs of Quebec. He has also participated with Team Canada on the Coupe du Monde competition.

Guy Vaugeois of Banff, Alberta who trained in France. He won a gold medal at the Edmonton Culinary Show in 1992, and gold and silver medals with Team Canada for the Coupe du Monde in 2003.

Ken Harper is Pastry Chef Instructor at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo.

Leanne Bentley is the pastry chef at Mission Hill Winery in West Kelowna.

Domenico Di Clementeis a Pastry Chef at Thomas Haas Shop in North Vancouver.

We wish the each of them lots of good luck and good baking.

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Looking at the small things that make life great and the people who create them.

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