Chef Chris Canham

That journey began as a line cook in his hometown of St. Catherine’s, Ont. Chef Chris quickly progressed up the ranks, impressing his chefs and earning a reputation for hard work and creativity. Eventually, a colleague told him that the key to progressing in his career was to manage hotel kitchens. He began his apprenticeship with the Holiday Inn chain and his passion for fine cuisine took hold.

“Even though I was on my feet for 12 to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, it didn’t feel like work,” he recalls. “The recipes stuck with me because I loved what I was doing.”

With seasoned mentors steering his education, Chef Chris slowly mastered old-world techniques and embraced the history of his craft. He built an extensive library of timeless cookbooks and prepared meals for Canada’s culinary elite. Using French cuisine as his foundation, Chef Chris lived and travelled in Europe, at each stop building a reputation for excellence. He would go on to compete in several Culinary World Cups and Culinary Olympics in Luxembourg and Germany, winning multiple medals between 2002 and 2016.

He relocated to India in 2008 for two years, a period where he enrolled in various culinary programs and opened multiple restaurants and hotels, while travelling around the country and broadening his already extensive skill set. Along the way, he experimented with molecular and other cooking techniques, while observing that the world’s great cuisines all share striking similarities. It’s the often subtle (yet crucial) cultural variations and a chef’s passion that make dishes truly distinctive.

When Chef Chris returned to Canada, he worked in several kitchens before taking on a role as the Executive Chef at the Westin Prince Hotel in Toronto. There, he managed multiple restaurants featuring Persian, Japanese, Chinese cuisine, along with an all-day eatery. Through diligent management of everything from menu design to team engagement, Chef Chris transformed the hotel’s food and beverage performance and client satisfaction metrics.

After knowing Chef Chris for years and admiring his work, we’re thrilled to have him aboard. We’re most excited to welcome his inspiring approach and love for preparing simple, delicious dishes that are sure to exceed our guests’ expectations.