Biography
Chef Riley Bennett began his culinary journey on his family farm and restaurant in British Columbia at age 9. Once graduating high school, he moved to Calgary, Alberta to pursue his passion and love for cooking. He enrolled in the one-year professional cooking program at SAIT. Chef Bennett has worked with some of the top chefs in the country, from supporting Culinary Team Canada and Culinary Team Alberta to competing provincially, nationally and internationally in both hot and cold food competitions. Chef Bennett has worked in locally driven and slow food restaurants where being a steward of the land is at the forefront, including, but not limited to, Sooke Harbour House and Mission Hill Family Estate Winery as well as through his entrepreneurial adventures in catering. Chef Bennett has been with George Brown Chef School since 2011 where he began as a Chef Technologist at The Chefs House, before becoming a full-time Professor at George Brown Chef School in 2016. The ‘thrive to learn’ and always push himself out of his comfort zone is integral and the philosophy of life-long learning has Chef Bennett currently enrolled at the University of Guelph in the discipline MBA in Sustainable Commerce.
Academic Credentials
Certified Chef de Cuisine, Culinary Institute of Canada, 2014
Interprovincial Red Seal Cook, 2002
Interprovincial Red Seal in Baking / Patisserie 2014
MBA in Sustainable Commerce Candidate
Areas of Specialization
Culinary Management (H100) Integrated
Culinary Management (H116)
Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Culinary Management) (H315)
Areas of Expertise
Molecular Cuisine
Food Science and Nutrition
Sustainable Commerce
Other Activities
Coach and Mentor - Tastes Canada Cooks the Books
Mentor, Coach and Judge - Hawksworth Youth Scholarship Competition
Co-coordinator - Tastes of Tomorrow 2015-2016
Chef Coordinator - Pueblo Fundraiser; raising awareness for science in schools of developing countries; off-site catering