What is the difference between a Junior Chef and a Chef?

Photo © Min Banwait.

The Canadian Culinary Federation defines a Junior Chef as a person that has not received their cooks papers yet.  They can be of any age.  

A junior is one that:

- needs at least four years experience in the industry (7500 hours total)
- needs to work in an establishment that has a chef with journeymen papers and an apprenticeship program established
- must write and pass an exam that is issued by the provincial trade certification branch each year
- however, if a person comes to the industry with over the required amount of hours (7500) they can submit in writing, letters of support from past employers outlining their work and then challenge the TQ certification exam.  They are allowed one re-write should they not pass for an additional fee.

To become a chef, the person has to work in the industry for five years after receiving their cooks papers.  A Certified Chef d'Cuisine (CCC) has to have a total of at least five years running an establishment as Chef and then take a six month program offered by the BCCA and pass their exams.  The course goes through menu development, planning and execution (building) an eating establishment, and various exercises and exams on food costing, management, HACCAP, etc. 

Exciting Details for Tastes of CCFCC Canada

Sunday June 12, 2011

5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Renaissance Hotel Harbourside
1130 West Hastings St., Vancouver

Tastes of CCFCC Canada is not to be missed this year! Featuring 15 stations from regions across Canada manned by junior chefs and their mentors, guests will enjoy food creations and beverage pairings celebrating Canada’s culinary identity. Also joining us this year are guest chefs from the American Culinary Federation and Washington State Junior Chefs, as well as Aboriginal Culinary Team Canada. Look out for the Aboriginal Culinary team, as they will be presenting dinner for Monday, June 13, 2011 during the conference.

Stations will showcase regional foods, as well as beverages to match—beer, cider, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic options. Attendants will be graced with fantastic food and drink, as well as the opportunity to meet and greet with some of the best chefs in the world.

Take a look at what the stations have to offer:

Prince Edward Island

Junior Chef: Jennifer Bryant

Mentor: Chef Hans Anderegg

Serving Prince Edward Island Style Lobster Macaroni with Aged Cheddar Cheese, paired with Chardonnay.

Nova Scotia

Junior Chef: Brenan Madill

Mentor: Chef Luis Clavel

Serving Nova Scotian farmed Arctic Char, Hodge Podge, Char Cracker, and Oulton’s Smoked Pork Belly paired with Blueberry Iced Tea, Van Dyke’s Blueberry Bomb, and Blueberry Powder.

Quebec

Junior Chef: Stephanie Lavergne

Mentor: Chef Marcel Kretz

Serving Quail stuffed with Fiddleheads, wrapped in boar bacon and presented with celeriac, apple puree, and St. Nicholas apple cider jus. Paired with apple cider.

Ontario

Junior Chef: Nikki Carriere

Mentor: Chef Marcia Budd

Serving pan-fried potato and goat cheese perogies with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, candied double smoked bacon, and scallion cream. Paired with a Syrah.

Manitoba

Junior Chef: Joel MacDonald

Mentor: Chef Tim Appleton

Serving Manitoban smoked goldeye terrine with a beet and goat cheese puree, sautéed pickerel cheeks, micro green, and a flax seed vinaigrette. Paired with a Pinot Gris.

Saskatchewan

Junior Chef: Tom Wood

Mentor: Chef Rob Harrison

Serving a mustard-cured duck bacon, Lac la Ronge wild rice and a barley galette with Carmine Jewel cherry preserve. Paired with a dark Saskatchewan Ale.

Alberta

Junior Chef: Debbie Poulin

Mentor: Chef Hong Chew

Serving pulled pork in a pinto bean cornmeal muffin, topped with a maple buttercream frosting and finished with a smoked chipotle crackle. Paired with a Sap Vampire Maple Lager from Albertan Brewing Company, Amber’s.

British Columbia (Kelowna)

Junior Chef: Jon Garratt

Mentor: Chef Geoffrey Couper

Serving venison bresola with young arugala, drizzled with cold pressed canola and local verjus. Paired with Spirit Bear Gin: an Okanagan elderflower spirit shaken with citrus, and topped with a local sparkling rhubarb bitter.

British Columbia (Vancouver)

Junior Chef: Rachelle Thompson

Mentor: Chef Kevin Greehy and Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside

Serving BC Hazelnut s’mores with Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Christy Graham Cracker crumbs, topped with a dark chocolate and chef-made marshmallows. Paired with a hazelnut iced coffee.

British Columbia Oyster Bar

Serving BC’s finest from K’ómoks First Nation.

- Komo Gway, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Rough-shelled with a firm ivory meat and a fresh briny finish.

- Comox, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Plump oyster with a dark velvety mantle, medium salt and a nice cucumber finish.

- Goose Spit, North Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Beach grown and hardened. Firm meats and have a clean briny flavor and mild cucumber finish.

- Tree Island, North Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Unique dark mantle and a full creamy flavor.

- Gartley Beach, North Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Ivory meats and a dark, almost black mantle, rough shell, classic cucumber finish.

- Baynes Sound, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Multi-coloured and highly fluted shells hold nice firm and plump meats with a dark mantle.

- Buckley Bay, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Beach grown oysters have the classic oyster flavour, mild brine, nice and creamy.

- Brooklyn Creek, Comox, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Multi-coloured highly fluted shell offer creamy, plump full meats with medium salt.

- Goose Berry Point, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Sweet oyster, beach hardened and harvested, creamy white meats surrounded by a dark mantel.

- Sengoku, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• A classic oyster, medium salt, clean flavour and a mild cucumber finish.

Youth Team Canada

Mentor: John Carlo Felicella

Serving Qualicum goat cheese, braised organic cippolini onion, mulled tomato and micro greens with a salt and vinegar cracker with emulsified chimichurri.

Aboriginal Team Canada

Junior Chefs from Vancouver Community College’s Aboriginal Culinary Class

Mentor: Chef Ben Genaille

Serving “Kayuukws” from the people of the Nass River—wind-dried salmon and sweet potato rostis, topped with herring egg caviar and served with bannock. Paired with wild herbal tea, hot or iced: a choice of spearmint leaves, lavender blossoms, rose petals, elder flowers, and red clover.

Canadian Cheese Table

Junior Chef: John Dashney

Mentor: Judson Simpson, CCFCC President

Serving a selection of Aged Cheddars, Blues, Bocconcini, Brie, Camembert, Canadian Swiss, Feta, Gouda, Havarti, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Raclette, Saint-Poulin and Tomme.

Canadian cheeses pair well with wines, beers, and cocktails—they’re fantastic!

Renton Washington, USA

Junior Chef with Mentor Chef John Fisher

Martini Bar

Hosted by Von Albrecht and Associates

Serving XFour (“Times Four”) Handcrafted Vodka, BC’s first handcrafted premium corn and rye-based vodka. Distilled four times by master distiller Frank Deiter, with hints of fruit and anise.

Tickets for Tastes of CCFCC Canada are included in full delegates package, and early bird individual tickets are only $90.00 including taxes. Tickets include all food and beverages, with $30 from the sale of each ticket supporting Canadian Junior Chefs Culinary Programs.

For tickets and details, see www.tastesccfcc.eventbrite.com

BC Junior COTY Competition, March 12, 2011

Pictured left, 2011 BC Junior Chef of the year, Jasper Cruickshank.

Below is a message from Corey Jessup, President of the Victoria Branch of the Canadian Culinary Federation:

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday (Saturday, March 12, 2011) we held the 2011 BC Junior COTY competition and from what I saw we have some great young talent in all regions of this province. We would first like to start out by thanking Gilbert Noussitou and Camosun College for in only three days notice being able to accommodate the competition and pulling it off as if it was planned to be hosted there from day one.

Competitions like these would never be possible without support from our industry partners so thanks goes out to InterCity Packers for contributing the cash prizes and Certified Angus beef chuck flats and top sirloin for the black boxes. Sysco Victoria for contributing the whole Dungeness crab, Coho salmon, Little Qualicum blue claire cheese, wild mushroom blend, parsnips, golden beets and sunflower shoots for each black box. Ronald St Pierre for securing the wine for the peoples tasting table I know they were very grateful for that and Spatula Media for the amazing trophies, plaques and posters for all the competitors as keepsakes.

But without further adieu we would like to acknowledge the winners of this years event with the first place finisher going on to represent the province of BC at the National Junior COTY competition June 2011 in Vancouver.

1st place - Jasper Cruickshank, Vancouver

2nd place - Jenna Angle, Okanagan

3rd place - John Lance, Victoria

We would also like to thank the judges from this years event in no particular order, Bruno Marti, Willi Franz, JC Feliella, Leslie Stav, David Lang, Rick Choy, Terry Lockhart Rust, Gilbert Noussitou, Jeffrey Brothers and Dr Jane Ruddick for assisting in all the administration details the day of the event.

On behalf of the Victoria & North Island Branches

Thank you,

Corey

CCFCC National Junior Chefs Challenge

Wednesday June 15, 2011

7:00 am – 2:00 pm

Vancouver Community College
250 West Pender Street
Vancouver, British Columbia

At the CCFCC National Junior Chefs Challenge at Vancouver Community College this June, witness the next generation of Canadian culinary wonders as they compete in the National Championship round. Competitors representing each province in Canada will show off their prowess in the kitchen for the 2011 title.

Tickets for the challenge are $75.00 plus a $2.49 service fee. Tickets include lunch from one of the competitor’s kitchens. Competition details will be announced soon.

See http://ccfccjuniors-eorg.eventbrite.com/ for further details.

Hans Bueschkens Junior Culinary Challenge

Sunday June 12, 2011

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Vancouver Convention Centre West

1055 Canada Place

Vancouver, British Columbia

Watch Junior Chefs from across the globe compete for title of 'World Junior Champion' and the Hans Bueschkens Memorial trophy at the Hans Bueschkens Junior Culinary Challenge June 12, 2011.

As with the National Chefs Challenge and WACS Global Chefs Challenge, the competition will take place as a part of the Eat! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival. Free entry for Eat! Vancouver onlookers and CCFCC 2011 full delegates.

The 2011 competition and overview will be announced soon, but it is guaranteed to be an afternoon filled with excitement.

See http://worldjuniors-eorg.eventbrite.com/ for more details.

CCFCC Presidents Ball

Wednesday June 15, 2011

5:00 pm – 11:55 pm

Renaissance Hotel Harbourside
1133 West Hastings Street, Vancouver

Another exciting event at this year's CCFCC 2011 National Conference will be the CCFCC Presidents Ball.

Marking the climax of the conference, attendees at the Presidents Ball will enjoy a cocktail reception, an awards ceremony for the 5 chefs challenges taking place during the CCFCC 2011 National Conference, as well as a fundraiser for Culinary Team Canada, junior chefs programs, and culinary scholarships.

Culinary Team Canada will serve a six-course award winning dinner, with wine pairings, based on the theme “Canada welcomes the Americas”.

As with the rest of the conference, don't miss this opportunity to meet some of the world’s best chefs and industry professionals.

Dress up in your shiniest shoes, the dress code is black tie optional.

Conference Full Delegate packages include ticket to the Presidents Ball, see http://ccfcc.eventbrite.com for Conference tickets.

Individuals tickets are $196.00, corporate packages available as well.

For Presidents Ball ticket information, see http://presidentsball.eventbrite.com/

Contact conference2011@bcchefs.com.

Tastes of CCFCC Canada

Sunday June 12, 2011
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Renaissance Hotel Harbourside
1130 West Hastings St., Vancouver

The welcome reception and icebreaker for the CCFCC 2011 National Conference is bound to have a great start this year with Tastes of CCFCC Canada.
As a celebration of Canada's culinary identity, Tastes of CCFCC Canada will be featuring 12 food and beverage stations representing regions across Canada. With cutting-edge creations by Junior Chefs and their mentors, the stations will showcase expert food and beverage pairings.
Whether you come for the food, the ice sculpture carving competition, or the chance to meet and greet with some of the best chefs in the world, Tastes of CCFCC Canada can't be missed.
Included in the CCFCC 2011 National Conference are our guests from the World Associations of Chefs (WACS) and the American Culinary Federation (ACF), among others.
Tastes of CCFCC Canada is a part of the fundraising efforts for Culinary Team Canada, junior chefs programs, and culinary scholarships.

For ticket information see http://ccfcc.eventbrite.com or contact conference2011@bcchefs.com.