From cook to research & development chef

by Heidi Riley Career Profile-Culinary

F rom his first restaurant job during high

school to becoming the Research and
Setting goals

“When I was teaching, I told my culinary

Development Chef for Canada’s Smartest students to set personal and professional
Kitchen, Chef Allan Williams has always goals,” says Allan.
been passionate about the culinary arts. “I
love what I do, and I wouldn’t change much “Your short-term goal should be to get good
in my career path,” says Allan. marks, graduate, and work under a certified
chef.
Allan is originally from Pictou, Nova Scotia.
When in high school, he delivered pizzas Your medium-term goal should be to earn
for a restaurant. He began to help the cook your Red Seal Journeyman’s ticket, which
during the busy times, and found he enjoyed allows you to work around the world.
working in the kitchen.
Your long-term goal is to follow your
“I originally wanted to teach, and was dreams. Every decision you make should get
leaning towards teaching industrial arts,” you closer to your end goal.”
says Allan. “I started to like the restaurant
thing, and the idea of being able to travel for About the industry
work. My dad said everybody in the world
has to eat, so you’re going to have a job “Working in a kitchen can be very hot,” says
no matter where you go.” Allan did some Allan. “You can get burned or you can cut
research about the career and decided to Research and Development Chef Allan yourself. It’s a very physical job, with a
take the one-year Holland College culinary Williams works in Canada’s Smartest great deal of lifting. You are constantly on
program in 1991. Kitchen, a new food development your feet.
After graduating from Holland College, initiative from Holland College’s Culinary
“Chefs are by nature very competitive, trying
he was sent on an OJT to a restaurant in Institute of Canada. to outdo the competition down the street. The
Stratford Ontario. He worked under a people in the kitchen are all working towards
classically French trained chef. “I thought it a common goal, but there can be personality
would be fun to work there, but I absolutely “This was a very a different part of the clashes. You need to be able to communicate
hated it at the time,” says Allan. “The chef food service industry, and I found it very well and get along with the people who you
yelled at me every single day. He was interesting,” says Allan. spend 8 to 12 hours a day with.”
pushing my buttons to see if I would break.
He was a little guy, but I knew he was As he explored ways to achieve his goals, “I loved working in a restaurant. When the
looking down at me. I wanted to quit, but I Allan became a member of the PEI Chef’s customers are happy and the staff are all
was too stubborn. Association to get to know chefs and college charged up, that’s part of the satisfaction. It
instructors. He submitted his resumé to the can be mentally draining and difficult when
“On my last day of work, I could have said college and was hired 18 months later. “I got things don’t go right, but the job is definitely
anything I wanted to him. But I didn’t want to my long-term goal in eight years. It really rewarding.”
to burn any bridges. He admitted he was does work to plan your life according to your
hard on me. Looking back I am glad that I long-term goal.” Wages and salaries
went to work there. I did learn quite a bit
about food and people.” Working at Canada’s Smartest According to www.labourmarketinformation.ca,
Kitchen wages for chefs on PEI range from $10.35 to
Moving back to get ahead $19.95 per hour. Wages for college and other
Allan has worked for the Culinary Institute vocational instructors are listed at $17.00 to
While working as a chef in Vancouver, for almost 10 years. He was an instructor $34.80.
Allan still held onto his goal of teaching. there for more than three years. Then he
He realized that his resumé needed some began to work in food product development Job opportunities for chefs
high volume cooking. He took a job at a in partnership with the Food Technology
new restaurant, and went from his previous Centre. He also helped plan and design “There are a lot of opportunities for
position as executive chef to being a line Canada’s Smartest Kitchen. chefs,” says Allan. “There are many more
cook. “Sometimes you have to take a step employers looking for our students than
backwards in order to get ahead. Six months “I bring the chef’s perspective to food we have students. The restaurant scene has
later, I was offered a sous chef position, product development. crazy hours. If you are looking for a chef’s
which gave me management experience at a position with more regular hours, there are
much larger establishment.” “In product development, we try to preserve many opportunities for institutional cooking
food without the use of chemicals. Moisture, in hospitals and government facilities.”
Networking helps to find jobs oxygen, and temperature can make the
quality of food deteriorate. Eliminating one Traveling is a great way to learn
After four years of working in Vancouver, or more of these factors can make the product
he wanted to come back to PEI. “My long- last longer. That’s where the science comes “I always tell students that travel is
term goal was still to teach. My short-term in.” education. When you travel, you see
goal was to work at a reputable restaurant. different styles, preferences, and trends of
I contacted the person I had worked for in A new goal how people eat. However, chefs who take on
Summerside, and he offered me the sous chef a new employee like to see commitment. If
position at Seasons in Thyme Restaurant.” Allan’s new goal is to learn more about they get a resumé which shows movement
blending the culinary arts with the science to a new job every six months, they think
His employer started a company which of food. He has taken short courses at the the applicant will leave by the time they are
sold lobster-flavoured oil, which was his University of Guelph, and is planning to earn trained to where the chef wants them to be. I
introduction to food product development. a Bachelor of Science in Culinology from tell students to commit to a minimum of one
Southwest Minnesota State University. year. That’s what I did.”

Nov/Dec 09 w w w. em p l oym en t jou r n ey. c om