Young Chef from Victoria is Selected as 1 of 10 finalists for the Canadian regional finals of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition
The Canadian regional finals are set to showcase some of Canada’s
most promising young chefs from our region.
Stefan Armand, residing on Vancouver Island, British Columbia is representing Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, is the standout talent from our area. With his innovative approach and exceptional culinary skills, Stefan is certainly one to watch in the Canadian regional finals taking place on October 23, 2024, at George Brown College in Toronto.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Armand to discuss his hopes and aspirations for not just the competition but for his culinary future.
How did you get your start?
I was living in Calgary, Alberta and at 13 I got a job in a restaurant. I couldn’t believe how hard the work was and I thought “this isn’t for me”. So I just was kind of doing my own thing, skateboarding and that kind of stuff.
After I finished high school I went to live with my friend and his family, while I was living with them I was working at a burger restaurant, I was also going to U of C and I was also working construction to pay for a U of C business program. I finished my school and hung out for a year kind of what why am I doing this, I kind of felt a bit lost but I knew I was really happy cooking burgers for a living and it was fun and I was really loving it, all my skateboarding friends were working there.
In the next year I decided I wanted to focus on something I could put a lot into and that was cooking. I took a professional cooking program still working construction to fund it and in the second year ended up getting on the competition team, so I did that while working and going to school and I was getting pretty burned out. I would sleep for about three hours a night some nights.
How do you keep your sanity and stay normal?
I think a lot of open communication between me and my colleagues, between my partner. I think it’s something that’s really important to keep your composure in all of those situations because I think if you start to lose that that’s when you start to have those problems, the stress and the pressure and it becomes this anxiety when you walk into work which I don’t think should exist because if you have the ability to properly communicate with someone you can de-escalate a situation and look at it in a way you can identify the steps you can take to move forward. I think that’s one of the ways I manage, a prevention I guess. The pressure sometimes becomes a lot. I think doing things outside of it too helps.
What is a realistic approach to a live work balance?
Currently now I have a very good balance. I am only on four days a week which is lovely because I have more time to put into San Pellegrino and also I want to start trying to experiment and it’s very, very hard to get the skills I have and I just kind of want to play and explore what that looks like, and do things on Instagram and do things on TikTok and cook at home. Make things that could be potentially for a menu for a restaurant I want to run one day.
How do you keep your creativity going?
I think a lot of reading, I like reading books by different chefs, I like following restaurants and seeing what they’re doing. It’s very inspiring to me. Creatively I have been so pinholed and so focused on improving my skill sets that now I can do a bunch of crazy things I’ve never experimented with because I was focused on being the cook and my being the best side of things but now it’s just so much fun to create.
What is your favourite thing?
I think my favourite thing to look at the food when you’re finished because I think food is so pretty and I think it’s a way to express yourself.
I actually went to school at Noma. The chef runs a program he calls Mad Academy, I got a scholarship this year to go. I think they have a remarkable way of doings things which they are very calculated in how they use their time. A week’s program is very intense, you make sure you can stay focused and keep your attention span for that time.
What are your thoughts on sustainability?
It does take a lot of time and effort and skill to be able to do something sustainably because it becomes, like if you are ordering in a whole fish for example, like my dish, you’re using the head meat, you’re using the frame, you’re using the filets. In some restaurants at different levels you tend just to say use a filet and again that yields what could have been there if you understood what has been overlooked and I think all of that takes a lot of time and a lot of restaurants with the way things are it’s a lot of time and hours is huge and time is a salary for someone.
How are you preparing for the competition?
All the dishes are posted online prior to the competition so even if you wanted to you can’t change your dish and everyone can see ahead of time what you are doing. Everything is pretty well set in stone which I think it great because it protects the young chef’s vision. A lot of competitions you kind of get bulldozed.
I am doing a Vancouver Island Rockfish sourced from Satellite Fish Co., he’s one of the only people on the Island that sells whole fish. When I was working in Australia whole fish was everywhere, it was very easy to get, the market in Canada is not the same it has all been processed or has been broken down to some level so it’s really remarkable that he is doing that in Sidney. It seems like a little divine intervention that allows me to keep my idea.
I would also like to mention, it’s very important to me, that all of the plateware for my dishes is also handmade, by my sister.
I really love to be doing the competition, it’s very special and it’s given me a good platform to stand on, that’s what I’m looking forward to. I want to do it and it’s going to be really hard, it’s a lot of concepts and concepts requires you to be 100% solid in your idea.
What do you see in your future?
I think eventually I would like to open a concept restaurant, that would be my goal and I think requires a very meticulous development before you do it, make sure everything works. In terms of sustainability I want my dishes to reflect what it should be and not something that says one thing and does another.
Chef Stefan Armand, Canadian regional finalist, S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition
Stefan Armand, a rising star in the culinary world, is currently making his mark at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia. His culinary journey began at the age of 13 when he took a job as a dishwasher in a bustling restaurant. Initially intimidated by the fast-paced kitchen environment, Stefan chose a different path after high school, enrolling in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation program at the University of Calgary. However, while working part-time at a burger restaurant to support his studies, he discovered his true passion for cooking. This revelation prompted him to switch gears, pursue culinary school and work full-time to finance his education.
Throughout his culinary training, Stefan actively competed, joining the SAIT Skills Canada team and later participating in the Chaine competition. His career took him from Calgary to Vancouver Island, where he worked at various esteemed restaurants, notably Saveur, which received multiple awards. Seeking to deepen his expertise, Stefan moved to Australia to learn about seafood under renowned chef Josh Niland. After gaining valuable experience as a Chef de Partie at Quay, he transitioned to Fish Butchery, where he honed his skills in fishmongering.
Stefan’s signature dish, “Aged Vancouver Island Rockfish 4 Ways with Local Corn and Beans,” reflects his commitment to sustainable and ethical cooking practices. The dish showcases not only his technical skills but also his philosophy of minimizing waste and maximizing the potential of local ingredients. The very ceramics used to plate the dish have even been factored into the ethos of this young chef. All the ceramics were designed and hand thrown using 100% recycled clay by his sister Keisha Armand who runs “Quiche Ceramics” out of Berkeley, California. Through his innovative approach, he aims to inspire others in the culinary community to think creatively about food sourcing and preparation.
In the 2024 S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition, Stefan was selected as one of the ten Canadian finalists, set to showcase his culinary talents at the regional finals on October 23, 2024, at George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario. He will be accompanied by his mentor, Tyler Paquette, whom he met at the Fairmont Empress. Their shared passion for fine dining and commitment to culinary excellence has solidified a strong mentor-mentee relationship.
Stefan’s unique background, combined with his dedication to cooking with integrity and creativity, positions him as a promising figure in the next generation of chefs. As he prepares to compete for the chance to represent Canada in the Grand Finale in Milan, Italy, Stefan continues to strive for excellence, aiming to elevate the dining experience while remaining true to his culinary roots.
Quiche Ceramics. Handmade ceramics designed with curiosity.
As a ceramicist, I was born lucky: my brother is a chef. Together, Stefan and I have been working on a project to bring sustainable alternatives to traditionally resource-intensive crafts. He makes experimental dishes using every part of the fish, and foraging for local ingredients, with a drive to reduce food waste. He’s done so for famous restaurants across Canada and Australia, from Fish Butchery to Quay to Saveur to Pluvio and so many more. I make more sustainable ceramics designed specifically for his dishes by recycling, and recycling again, my clay and glazes. Our current project is a three piece set for the San Pellegrino Young Chefs competition. We hope you’ll cheer him on in the 2024/2025 Regional Competition (and enjoy a little taste of my ceramics!).
S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy has announced the 10 Canadian finalists for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25. The group of talented young chefs will compete this October in Toronto for the chance to be named the Canadian representative in the competition’s Grand Finale in October 2025 in Milan, Italy. For 125 years S.Pellegrino has been sparkling tables around the world, connecting cultures, stories, and emotions, and we are honoured to showcase the 10 Canadian finalists and their stories in this celebratory year.
The competition will be judged by an esteemed panel of chefs and culinary influencers to determine the Canadian Young Chef competing in the Grand Finale. The judging panel includes:
Normand Laprise – With an illustrious career spanning over three decades, chef Normand Laprise is a culinary icon in Canada. Renowned for his visionary approach to cuisine, chef Laprise is the mastermind behind Montreal’s acclaimed restaurant, Toqué!. His dedication to sourcing the finest local ingredients and pushing the boundaries of culinary creativity has earned him widespread acclaim and numerous prestigious awards.
Jason Bangerter – As the executive chef of Langdon Hall, a Relais & Châteaux property nestled in the picturesque countryside of Cambridge, Ontario, chef Jason Bangerter has established himself as a leading figure in Canadian gastronomy. With a culinary philosophy deeply rooted in seasonality and sustainability, chef Bangerter’s innovative dishes reflect his commitment to showcasing the natural bounty of the region.
Nuit Regular – Hailing from the vibrant culinary landscape of Toronto, chef Nuit Regular brings a unique perspective to the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition. As the creative force behind PAI Northern Thai Kitchen, Kiin Chaiyo by PAI, Sukhothai, and Selva, chef Regular’s expertise in Thai cuisine and her dedication to preserving authentic flavours and techniques have garnered her widespread recognition and accolades.
Now in its sixth edition, the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition this year received submissions from more than 1,000 young chefs from 15 countries worldwide. Each submission included the chef’s signature dish and was evaluated by culinary experts from ALMA, the World’s Leading International Educational and Training Centre for Italian Cuisine. The experts assessed each dish based on three criteria: technical skills, creativity, and a personal belief in the transformative power of gastronomy to make a positive change in society through food.
The Canadian regional finalists are:
- Stefan Armand, Fairmont Express, Victoria, British Columbia
- Anthony Huynh, Enigma Yorkville, Toronto, Ontario
- Harun Younussi, Piano Piano, Toronto, Ontario
- Karly Ready, The Gate, Flesherton, Ontario
- Victoria Rinsma, Hexagon Restaurant, Oakville, Ontario
- Mary Louisse Isabelle, Islington Golf Club, Toronto, Ontario
- Clement Cavoret, Tanière3, Quebec City, Quebec
- Anthony Vien, Tanière3, Quebec City, Quebec
- Sébastien Rémillard, Bocuse d’Or Canada – Chefs Canada, Quebec City, Quebec
- Terry Boutte, Le Mousso, Montreal, Quebec
“S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition surprises us with every edition. Candidates outdo themselves from year to year, guided by passion and commitment,” said Matteo Berti, Head of Education of ALMA. “The selection process was not easy, but now it’s up to the shortlisted candidates to show their talents throughout the course of the competition. The best of luck to all of them!”
The Canadian regional final, hosted by TV Personality Pay Chen, will take place on October 23, 2024, at George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario. Each chef contestant will produce their signature dish to be judged by the aforementioned panel of chef judges. One chef will be named the winner and move on to the Grand Finale. At the Grand Finale, finalists from 15 regions across the globe will present their signature dishes to a jury of seven distinguished international chefs, also known as the “Seven Sages”. Past “Seven Sages” have included chefs Pía León, Eneko Atxa, Hélène Darroze, Vicky Lau, Nancy Silverton, Julien Royer and Riccardo Camanini.
To see the complete list of Canadian chef finalists or for more information on the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25, visit: sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com/regional-finalists-2024/canada.
Be sure to also follow
#SPYoungChefAcademy online for up-to-date news and announcements on the competition.
About S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy
Gastronomy has the potential to transform society, shaping a more inclusive, more sustainable future. But doing so requires talent. That’s why S.Pellegrino has created S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy, a platform to attract, connect and nurture the next generation of culinary talents. An environment that will empower them through education, mentoring and experience opportunities, as well as through the renowned global competition. The Academy opens its doors to members from over 70 different countries, ensuring that talent is not constrained by geography, ethnicity, or gender. This is a place where passionate young chefs interact with the most influential players in global gastronomy, and where together they cultivate an inspiring culinary community. To discover more please visit: sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com
About S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna
S.Pellegrino, Acqua Panna and Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks are international trademarks of Sanpellegrino S.p.A., which is based in Milan, Italy. Distributed in over 150 countries through branches and distributors on all five continents, these products represent quality, excellence by virtue of their origins and perfectly interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of pleasure, health and well-being. Founded in 1899, Sanpellegrino S.p.A. is the leading company in the beverage sector in Italy with its range of mineral waters, non-alcoholic aperitifs and drinks. Sanpellegrino has always been committed to enhancing this primary good for the planet and works responsibly and passionately to ensure that this resource has a secure future.
SOURCE Sanpellegrino Group
