Chef entrepreneur: culinary grad cooks with heart and Soul

Posted on Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017

Chef Resa Solomon-St. Lewis has always had soul, but Algonquin College gave her heart.

AC gave her the support – and culinary skills – to make a total career switch from manager and engineer in the federal government to Chef and entrepreneur. It all started in 2013 with completion of the Chef Training program, followed by enrolment in Culinary Management.

“I decided to pursue my passion,” she recalls. “I always wanted to attend Algonquin for chef training.” Following her passion has allowed her to build her “dream company.” Chef Resa is the founder of Baccanalle, an Ottawa-based food purveyor and caterer specializing in Caribbean and soul foods with lifestyle choice options, including vegan and gluten-free. She recently opened Capital Fare Café, bringing her culinary style to a very lucky office.

“I am able to merge my Caribbean heritage and Canadian nationality,” she explains of her menus.

Chef Resa credits her academic success with the College’s accessibility and flexibility – which allowed her to continue working full-time while earning her first certificate. She always had a flair for cooking, but Culinary Skills taught her the fundamentals and “why things happen” in the kitchen. “I loved learning the science and biochemistry behind cooking,” she adds.

Armed with that newfound tools for experimentation, she was able to craft her own innovative fusion menu – not to mention develop unique specialty food products like sauces and condiments. As a chef, she puts her own stamp on heritage cooking from Trinidad and Tobago blending it with European and Canadian that she honed in classroom training. Curry Lobster Ravioli, for example, is a fusion dish she perfected after learning how to make pasta from scratch while at AC. “(The goal) is to make something unique and delicious,” she explains.

Chef Resa’s trademark curry dishes have created somewhat of a following around town. Her coconut-infused curry goat was one of the key plates that made her a winner at the 2015 Embassy Chef Challenge, in which she represented the High Commission for the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. At the 2016 Embassy Chef Challenge, she took home the People’s Choice Award for varied lobster dishes, including the Curry Lobster Ravioli made from a Cassava pasta which was her take on a traditional Tobago dish – Curry Crab and Cassava Dumplings.

“I was shocked,” the chef says of her back-to-back accolades. “I was a fairly new graduate.” She also finished on top of the 2015 Beechwood Market Chef Cook-off for her maple-infused bountiful vegan curry (which is also on the Baccanalle menu).

She credits her competitive success to making dishes that she personally loves. She also took away major lessons learned as a student contestant in AC’s annual Battle of the Knives. “It was absolutely not a good showing – but I learned to be better prepared, to execute in different way and greater resilience for risk-taking,” she says, citing the College as a safe environment to learn, make mistakes and improve.

As the old saying goes, ‘if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.’ However, it’s easier to stay put when there is nowhere else you’d rather be. For Solomon-St. Lewis, the long hours and dedication are well worth it; she is fuelled by her passion.

The College experience also taught her how to be a culinary industry professional, and the essentials of managing a kitchen– a valuable asset for a fledgling business owner. She says her program also provided vital connections for Baccanalle. Her instructors – all industry professionals – were not only mentors in the classroom, but remain in her corner to this day. “They were always available for advice after I graduated,” she says.

For those culinary students looking to start their own business, she offers some key advice: “Develop your business plan, and focus on a business you’re passionate about. Make sure the business aligns with your core skills, and bring in partners where you have gaps to fill.

“Understand that it is a tireless exercise,” she adds. “If you’re in the culinary business, when you’re an entrepreneur you are chef, cook, and pot-washer. It’s guts and glory.”

Not to mention heart and Soul.

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