Culinary apprentices’ debut at ‘Eh is for Apprenticeship’ themed evening
On Thursday November 13th, thirty aspiring apprentice chefs from Fairmont Hotels’ Pacific Northwest Region will take the spotlight at Fairmont Pacific Rim. The evening kicks off with cocktails and canapés at 5:30pm, followed by a seven-course tapas tasting menu, complemented with wine. Coleen Christie, anchor of CTV News at Five and CTV Noon News, will again serve as the evening’s master of ceremonies, drawing attention to the culinary inspirations and cooks in the kitchen.
Live music during the cocktail reception, together with casual lounge and high-top seating will set the ambiance, as guests savour the flavours reflective of Canada’s most celebrated cuisine. Each hotel is tasked with creating three tapas to match a notable region, taking guests on a cross-Canada journey of east meets west. Highlighted regions will include: Atlantic Canada, French Canadian, Cottage Country, the Prairies, the Canadian Rockies and the backyard of west coast BC.
For the second year in a row, a panel of culinary experts will judge each course and award one winning team. Diners will also be asked to judge a ‘people’s choice’ recipient and prizes will be awarded to the winning apprenticeship team.
Tickets are $129 per person and include the reception, dinner, wine, taxes and gratuities.
Tickets are available through the event coordinator at vprdining@fairmont.com or 604-695-5557. For more information, please click here.
The three-year Culinary Apprenticeship Program was launched by Robert LeCrom who started it in 1989 due to an increasing shortage of trained cooks and a marked interest in culinary careers. Since then, hundreds of certified cooks have graduated, including Top Chef Canada, Matthew Stowe.
Usually two or three positions at each hotel are available every year and the apprentice completes 6,000 working hours which includes an annual four-week period at a community college. Training is done on a rotational basis in a variety of areas: saucier, entremetier, garde-manger, patisserie, butchery, banquets, restaurants, purchasing, receiving and storing, and food and beverage control. In BC, Fairmont Hotels works closely with Vancouver Community College and Vancouver Island University.
All apprentices are paid for their work and promoted based on performance. Canadian participants are registered as an “apprentice cook” and receive Fairmont benefits as well as a federal government training allowance if they are registered in a post-secondary institution. Upon successful completion, they are awarded a Red Seal Certificate and a designation of “Journeyperson Cook,” along with a Culinary Apprenticeship Certificate from Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.
