Since being a student at Algonquin, Chef Amanda has spent 17 years working as a Pastry Chef across Canada. Starting here in Ottawa, her career has taken her to Vancouver and back again, achieving her Patissier Red Seal along the way.

Chef Amanda’s passion for baking developed like many chefs, throughout a childhood where family cooking formed a staple of daily life. Learning age old recipes from friends and family alike propelled Chef Amanda to join Algonquin’s Pastry program. Upon leaving Algonquin Chef Amanda’s career flourished as her talents grew at many notable organizations including the National Arts Centre and the French Baker. She then continued her studies at the Vancouver Pastry School. From there she went on to apply and grow her talents at many of Vancouver’s notable dessert landmarks such as True Confections, Chocolate Arts, Tartine Bread and Pies & Baguette and Co. She eventually made her way back to Ottawa and joined The Baking and Pastry department as a professor.

Pastry Chef, Barbara Burkhard, born and raised in Switzerland, acquired her flair for baking and pastry there and completed her three-year apprenticeship as Patissier/Confiseur.

Barbara brought her skills and talent to Canada as a Pastry Chef at Ottawa’s well-known Swiss Pastries and the French Bakery in the Byward Market Square. Barbara joined the team of Algonquin Culinary experts in 1999. In addition to teaching the basics of baking and pastry, she is a true pastry ‘artist’ who always incorporates contemporary creative trends into her classes. Specializing in advanced cake decorating and gourmet desserts, to name a few, Chef Barbara’s classes are always in high demand.

Originally from Algeria, Malek is his family’s third generation pastry chef. Having grown up near the pastry shop La Genevoise in Batna, Algeria, he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather in their family business. It is there that he learned the art of traditional French pastry as well as traditional Arabic pastries.

Malek bring with him industry experience from many parts of the world, having held positions in England, Algeria, Dubai, France and here in Canada. He is a graduate of the National Institute of Hotel Industry and Tourism School in Algeria, and in addition to teaching pastry arts for Algonquin College, has taught at La Cite College and Cordon Bleu for numerous years.

Muriel Ong graduated with Honours from George Brown College’s pastry program in Toronto in 2009. She honed her skills at various establishments, including Liberty Entertainment Group (Liberty Grand) and Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). She then travelled to Paris, France, where she gained international work experience at Maison Arnaud Larher (Meilleur Ouvrier de France/MOF) and S.P. Flandrin Bakery. She underwent intense pastry training in pursuit of her love for French pastries.

A year later, Muriel returned to Canada and worked in Montreal for several years. During her time there, she worked as a Pastry Chef at Osco Restaurant in InterContinental Montreal Hotel. She also continued to expand her knowledge of pastry and chocolate by training at the prestigious Chocolate Academy Montreal, where she had the opportunity to learn from world-renowned Chefs.

Muriel relocated to Ottawa in 2019, took on the role as a Pastry Chef at Shaw Centre and joined the team at Algonquin College. She loves teaching, is eager to impart her knowledge and share her joy of baking with her students.

Baking has been the primary focus in Robert’s profession that has driven him to evolve in the process of how we master the art of baking and pastry today. He has been active in the industry for over 30 years, starting off at the Toronto Four Seasons Hotel, Prince Hotel and Ritz Carlton. He opened his own bakery (Alpine Bakery Toronto) where he created and developed many new baked goods, breads and cakes. He also taught for seven years at George Brown College where he developed a love of teaching. Robert then pursued a new opportunity at LaRocca Cakes and Give & Go Prepared Foods as Senior Research and Development Chef and Innovator working in a research lab, playing an integral part of changing how industrial baking works in today’s society. He was responsible for many of the products now found in local grocery stores. The experience opened up many new opportunities – like helping to design and program robots to decorate cakes and pastries. Robert was also responsible to create, test and intergrade highly technological production lines.

Robert owns and operates Clyde Hall Bed and Breakfast in Lanark, recently rated as one of the 10 best in Ontario by Cottage Life Magazine and the Huffington Post. They are recognized for the quality of our food and baked goods.

Robert welcomes the opportunity to share his baking knowledge and skill set with his students and hopes they will find the same passion for future success in the industry.