Vancouver chef to represent Canada in prestigious global culinary competition
A Vancouver-raised chef will represent Canada in a prestigious international cooking competition that is being dubbed the Olympics of the culinary world.
Keith Pears, former B.C. Chef of the Year, will travel to France’s Lyon in January to compete in the biannual Bocuse d’Or, a global competition for chefs established in 1987 by the late French chef Paul Bocuse.
The two-day competition will see 12 finalist countries compete for the bronze, silver and gold medals. With Canada having never placed on the podium before – it reached fourth place in 1999 – Pears said winning would “be a dream.”
“I mean, this is the biggest thing for me. This is the most prestigious culinary competition there is in the world,” he said.
Pears, who moved to Toronto eight years ago to further his career at a string of high-profile hotels, qualified for the finals last year after placing second at the Bocuse D’Or Americas, a preliminary competition held for the Americas. Other continents held their own competition, with their winners set to compete against Pears in the large-scale finale.
Held in New Orleans, the Bocuse D’Or Americas saw nine teams complete the competition’s iconic tests of ‘theme on a plate,’ – which spotlit seafood dishes – and the ‘platter theme,’ this year being a Louisiana platter comprising a wild boar rack, alligator sausage and grits.
“Progressing through each stage and going through all these uphill battles, mentally and physically, is what really prepares us for the final,” said Pears, adding how it has been “full-time training” ever since.
Alongside managing a full-time, demanding job, Pears is currently Corporate Executive Chef for Accencis Group, the chef is also spending “hours a day” researching and developing the theme for the finals, taste-testing recipes and testing his “creative ability.”
“It's kind of like training for the Olympics, even when you get your chance you're then just devoting your life towards the cause and working towards a bigger goal,” he said.
Pears says he won’t reveal too much of the gastronomic creation he has planned, but he can assure it will showcase Canada and himself as a chef, alongside keeping to the traditional Bocuse D’Or style. Elevated food, he says, that has been “made to look pretty.”
Coming from a culinary family – Pears’ parents run Mount Pleasant’s Argo Cafe – the chef says cooking has always been in his blood.
“I worked for my parents for a very long time, for the first half of my career I was following them around from restaurant to restaurant,” he says, describing how he helped his mum, chef Lynda Larouche, washing dishes at The Teahouse restaurant in Stanley Park and Seasons in the Park at Queen Elizabeth Park.
Unlike some other countries set to compete, Canada doesn’t offer government funding and the onus to pay for the flights, hotel, car rental and other trip expenses for the trip to Lyon is on the chefs themselves. The costs, say Pears, are to be in the tens of thousands.
Fundraising efforts, led primarily by mum Larouche and her flock of excited staff members, are underway.
“We are very proud of his accomplishments,” says Larouche, adding how the family has “shed tears” over Pears’ most recent achievements.
Larouche said cookie sales at Argo’s front desk and specially curated turkey dinner packages for customers have helped rack up funds in-house, while a GoFundMe page is garnering attention online.
While taking part in the competition is an unparalleled experience in itself, winning would be something else entirely, Pears said.
“Whatever happens, it's going to be worth it regardless because there's going to be so many memories made, but winning this, or to even hit the podium, would bring a lot of validation,” he said.
“To be able to show my family, and my two kids, what I can do, and that if you put yourself to work and dedicate yourself to something, you really can achieve anything.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Flair Airlines CFO charged with involuntary manslaughter linked to fatal car crash in U.S.
Flair Airlines' chief financial officer Sumanth Rao is facing involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with a fatal crash involving an underage driver who had been drinking at his Atlanta-area home.
DEVELOPING Luigi Mangione shouts as he is led into courthouse where he contests extradition to N.Y.
The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggled with deputies and shouted Tuesday while arriving for a court appearance in Pennsylvania, a day after he was arrested at a McDonald’s and charged with murder.
National rent prices decline year-over-year to 15-month low: report
A new report says average asking rents fell nationally on a year-over-year basis to $2,139 in November, marking a 15-month low.
Drugs, guns, stolen vehicles and inadmissible entries mark busy year at border: CBSA
The Canada Border Services Agency says there’s been an increase in the confiscation of illegal items at border crossings, as well as a jump in inadmissible foreign nationals attempting to enter Canada from the U.S., this year compared to last.
Some added sugar sources are worse than others for disease risk, study suggests
Sugar isn’t helpful when looking to reduce heart disease risk –– but sweet drinks are the worst, according to a study. There are better sweet treats.
Company ordered to refund B.C. Telus customer who accidentally sent it payments
A B.C. Telus customer who mistakenly sent online banking payments to a company with a similar name will get refunded after a small claims decision handed down Monday.
Legal experts sound alarm on Legault's threat to use notwithstanding clause to ban public prayer
Legal experts say the increasing tendency of provincial premiers to use the notwithstanding clause is a worrying trend that disregards the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Meth wrapped as Christmas gifts seized from Vancouver passenger at New Zealand airport
A woman travelling from Vancouver to New Zealand was arrested after a search of her carry-on duffel bag found methamphetamine wrapped as Christmas presents, according to authorities.
'Governor Justin Trudeau': Trump appears to mock PM in social media post
Amid a looming tariff threat, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump appears to be mocking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, referring to him as 'Governor Justin Trudeau' in a post on Truth Social early Tuesday.