Without Borders – Three Chefs Take On The World

By / Magazine / November 26th, 2009 / 1

Take three chefs from Calgary, a good dose of passion for the food of faraway lands and a willingness to work for free — and you’ve got Without Borders.

Chad, Clayton and Lyndon (aka Without Borders) have spent the last few years travelling the globe “in search of traditional dishes, culture and adventure.” They use their own Modus Operandi to find what they’re looking for — stepping into restaurant kitchens, hanging out beside hawker stalls, even invading home kitchens. They observe what’s being cooked and then try to make it themselves. Sometimes compared to Anthony Bourdain and his cross-globe travels, Without Borders point out that they’re actually very different. “We are real travellers who have worked as chefs around the world. We are not getting paid, and we are doing what we are doing because we love it.”

A Without Borders video is a sketchily planned and mostly spontaneous thing which, the guys say, “makes it more real, fun and exciting.” And the fact that they enter kitchens with little to no knowledge of what they will be cooking or getting themselves into definitely adds to the mystique. The project has now grown to encompass much more than Chad, Clayton or Lyndon had originally imagined. They’ve developed a fairly large and dedicated following. Perhaps because of their unscripted and genuine approach towards the people and situations they encounter on their travels, these three guys manage to make a cooking show that’s completely different than any currently airing on the Food Network.

Neither Chad, Clayton nor Lyndon have much in the way of filmmaking experience, and it actually pays off. Quirky and gritty, the videos they make feel very authentic and down-to-earth. Like us, these chefs are learning as they go and demonstrating how it’s entirely possible to see great sights and eat great food all on a tight budget. Recently, Without Borders took some time off from travelling talk to Tidings.

How did you come up with Without Borders?

We came up with the name a year ago while having a few pints in Auckland, New Zealand at the same time we came up with the idea for this project. We felt that Without Borders was a name that summed up exactly what we wanted to do.

Why did you create this project?
A few years ago, while traveling, we briefly taped a few dishes being made in select kitchens throughout Asia. When we finished our trip and showed friends our footage, they were really impressed, and the idea spawned from there, as all three of us are chefs who like to travel. We thought that instead of backpacking, which we have all done many times before, that we would learn a lot more about local cuisine, and really be able to immerse ourselves in the culture if we took on this project.

Is food, like music, is a universal language?

After traveling many countries throughout the world, you come to realize that food brings family and friends together and what better way to meet new people, and learn about their culture than through sharing a great meal. Many people we met had next to nothing, but were more than willing to let us into their homes to share not only a meal, but also an experience.

What do you want viewers to take away with them after watching your videos?

We hope that people who watch our videos will open their minds to the way other people live and maybe the average holiday maker will be more inclined to get off the beaten track and explore these places to see how friendly and hospitable people can be. It’s not all about cooking and recipes, but you can take what you want from it. Hopefully the recipe books will come later. And for those who can’t travel, hopefully they will have some insight into other cultures and can live vicariously through our videos.


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosemary Mantini has always loved words. When she isn't working as the Associate Editor at Tidings Magazine, she's helping others achieve their writing dreams, and sometimes she even relaxes with a good book and a glass of wine.

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