The Culinary Federation Winnipeg held its annual presidents awards gala to a sold out crowd on April 12 , 2024 at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg.  The evening was a chance for our culinary community to celebrate the accomplishments of the Chefs of Winnipeg. The evening opened with appetizer stations and bubbly to the sounds of classical chamber music.

A sumptuous dinner was prepared by the kitchen under Executive Chef Melissa Makarenko and the brigade at the convention centre.  In the crowd were the best of Winnipeg’s Culinary community who came out to celebrate with Winnipeg Branch President Peter Ecker.

During the evening awards were made to members of the branch who were outstanding over the past year. This years recipient of Associate of the year was presented to Binner Marketing. This years recipient of the Young Chef Member of the year is Chef Sergei Didenko of Winnipeg Hockey For All who has been instrumental in working with the executive and young chefs.  This years recipient of Chef of the year is Chef Scott Hyndman who is our local vice president and who works for Pratt’s Food Service.

A great thank-you to the Royal Bank Convention Centre and our event sponsors for making this event a great success. We also wish to thank the students and teachers from Tec Voc High School , Maples Collegiate and Sturgeon Creek Regional Secondary school for the preparation of the delicious appetizer stations.

Executive Chef Melissa Makarenko presented a fantastic dinner.

Young Chef of the Year Sergei Didenko.

Chef of the Year Scott Hyndman

Associates of the year, Binner Marketing’s Bonnie Mularchuk and Natalie Sample.

The month of May brought the Chefs and friends to Uptown Alley for a fun night out enjoying some bowling, food and beverages at the entertainment complex. Chefs, old and new, as well as associates and guests let loose for a night of pin crashing fun. We were served up a fine buffet of party eats including Pizzas, Wings, and Natcho’s fully dressed and delicious. Great to see the group out enjoying a little fun on a beautiful evening.

The Winnipeg Branch of the Canadian Culinary Federation was proud to sponsor and donate to this year's Skills Canada Competition. Each competitor received a Chefs Jacket adorned with Skills Canada & CCF Winnipeg logos for the young chefs to be proud to wear as they compete at the National Skills Competition in Quebec later this year. Congratulations to the competitors and good luck at Nationals!

     The Winnipeg Branch of the Canadian Culinary Federation was proud to sponsor and donate to this year’s Skills Canada Competition. Each competitor received a Chefs Jacket adorned with Skills Canada & CCF Winnipeg logos for the young chefs to be proud to wear as they compete at the National Skills Competition in Quebec later this year.

       Congratulations to the competitors and good luck at Nationals!

Chef Richard shares ideas with young chefs.

VP Scott outlines some of the future events and competitions for chefs.

Chef Steven with Young Chef Competitors.

Chef Scott shares some of the details of the Minors recipe competition. Finalists wins an all expense trip to the national convention.

Chef Scott welcomes Chefs Richard and Chef Steven to the executive board.

Some young Chefs enjoying some of the food they helped to prepare.

Culinary Federation Winnipeg held a meet and greet on Wednesday, March 20 at Maples Collegiate Commons. The event was attended by Chef and Young Chef members as well as students from culinary schools like Maples, Tec Voc and Red River College. There was a chance to hear about the upcoming local and national initiatives and a number of competitions and activities that are planned for the next few months. The evening gave us a chance to get on the same page for the national conference to be held in Edmonton at the end of May. We welcomed new board members to our association as well as a number of new young chef members. We are happy to have Chef Steven Strecker (Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology) and Chef Richard Duncan ( Canada Life Centre) and associate Lyndsay Kapkey (Perfect Perogy) join us as new members of our executive board. A big Thank-you to Chef Jeff Bilous and the Students of Maples Collegiate for hosting the event.

On Sunday December 10, 2023 the Winnipeg Branch of the Canadian Culinary Federation celebrated a long standing association tradition and held our annual holiday brunch. A sumptuous buffet was prepared by Chef Sergei Didenko and his staff at the Scotia Bank Hockey for all Centre. The event included small gifts for kids, cupcake station and lots of fun with the man in red. The event was a great success with proceeds going to the Christmas Cheer Board.

A sumptuous buffet was provided thanks to our generous associates and sponsors. Thank you goes out to Dunrite, Maple Leaf, Sysco, City Bread, Saputo, Vanderpole Eggs, Independent Fish, Tec Voc HighSchool, Maples Collegiate, McCains, To-Le-do, Nestle, Nature’s Farm, IPS, GFS, Pratts, Binner, Perfect Perogies, Nossack, Bee Maid. Fentons, Bothwell, Russell Food Equipment, Unilever, Campbells, Binner, and all the great folks at Scotia Bank Hockey for All Centre.