Algonquin a Recipe for Success
Posted on Monday, May 8th, 2017
Cook Apprenticeship Program provides rising chef with all the right ingredients
Imrun Texeira can stand the heat, and he couldn’t wait to get into Algonquin College’s kitchens.
“I wanted to become more versatile with my skills in and outside of the kitchen,” says the 2014 Cook Apprenticeship Program grad. “(Algonquin) helped me become (the) well-rounded chef I am today.”
Algonquin’s state-of-the-art-kitchen labs, and industry-leading instructor chefs, helped prepare Texeira for work in Ottawa’s gourmet dining scene, British Michelin-starred restaurants, and even reality food TV.
The program’s dynamic menu includes classroom sessions, stints in the College’s Restaurant International, and course-credited experience in working kitchens. It moulds students into vital members of any culinary team – and potential future leaders of their own kitchens. Courses include Theory of Food, Kitchen Management, Nutrition and Food, and Plated Deserts.
During his Algonquin internships, the 22-year-old spent time in high-end kitchens like Atelier, run by award-winning chef Marc Lepine. Texeira even put his college experience to work on the national stage in 2016 as a contestant on the Food Network’s Chopped Canada.
With one gourmet, educational experience under his belt, Texeira also enrolled in Algonquin’s Pastry Arts and Sommelier programs. While those degrees are works in progress, “there is so much more to learn,” he says. “I wanted more front-of-house experience, so I decided to take the Sommelier program to learn more about wine, (and) wine service.”
Algonquin also handed Texeira a full menu of industry connections. “I meet a lot of people (through Algonquin) – the networking thing all comes together,” he notes. “At the end of the day it’s all about the people you know.”
Texeira is quick to name the College’s biggest lesson: that communication skills are just as important as kitchen smarts, and plate presentation. It’s not only about knowing your way around a knife or spice rack. “I learned I actually have to talk to people,” he explains. “I can’t just hide in the corner, do my work and go home. I actually have to be able to talk to people and present my ideas.”
The Kanata native speaks highly of Algonquin’s practical, concrete experience. Case in point: in his sommelier classwork, students would “try 12 to 20 different wines per day.” In his pastry courses, Texeira became an artisan of sugary delights such as “chocolate sculptures.”
But it’s the Cook Apprenticeship Program that gave him a foundation in “basic chef skills” – from knife cuts to different cooking methods. “It’s very hands on and it makes you well-rounded in every aspect of the kitchen,” he adds.
Texeira’s work and internship experience include top local restaurants like Navarra, Beckta, Zen Kitchen, and the Brookstreet Hotel. He has also staged at Michelin Star restaurants in the United Kingdom. Texeira also plans to put his newfound wine knowledge to use. “I plan on going overseas and getting some experience working in some of the best vineyards the world has to offer.”
Even as Texeira’s career rises like a hot cross bun, one suspects he’ll never stop being an apprentice. After all, a true chef never stops learning; he learned that from Algonquin’s cookbook.
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