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Awards & Achievements

2010

Alex de Portneuf Fine Cheese Makers' Young Chefs competition

Infusions restaurant was the place to be on Tuesday, Oct. 5 as the College hosted the Alexis de Portneuf Fine Cheese Makers’ Young Chefs Competition. As part of the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival, the sold-out event featured nine different menu items, all of which included at least 20% Alexis de Portneuf cheeses, paired with wines from Cedar Creek, Mount Boucherie, Howling Bluff, Gray Monk, 8th Generation, Arrowleaf Cellars, Noble Ridge, Tantalus and Tinhorn Creek.

There were three different categories of competition: Top Young Apprentices, Top Young Chef, and Consumers Choice for Best Food Pairing with Wine.

Okanagan College students Susan Duperron, Jeff Geistlinger and Lindsay Hadwell swept the apprentice category. Brent Pillion from the Wild Apple Restaurant in Kelowna won Top Young Chef and Okanagan College apprentice Ryan Pennington from Local Lounge & Grill in Summerland earned Consumers Choice for Best Food Pairing with Wine. 
 Click here for more details.

2010 BC Junior Chef Competition
~ Brian Wawryk, Silver Medalist   

 The Okanagan Chefs Association hosted the Jr. Chef Competition at Okanagan College on Sunday, April 11 .   Click here   to see photo's captured at that event.   Brian was also picked the Okanagan Chefs Association's Chef of the Month see his write up  at "In the Kitchen with...." 

Chefs' Association Student Award  Recipients 
~  Devyn Reid & Lorraine Simon-Lewis


la Chaine des Rotisseurs Academic  Student Award Recipient   
~ Helena Bargen 


Okanagan Chef's Association
~  Holiday Celebration and Annual Branch Awards

 During the Okanagan Chefs' Associations Holiday Celebration and Annual Branch Awards.  Two chef instructors from our Culinary Arts Program at Okanagan College were recognized and voted on by their Chefs" Association peers for their efforts,  outstanding accomplishments and their contributions to the Okanagan culinary scene. 

  • Association President, Willi Franz of Grapevine Restaurant awarded Chef Perry Bentley of the Okanagan Chefs Association Culinary Arts program the "Presidents Award".
  • OCA Chairman, Chef Rod Butters of RauDZ Regional Table presented the "Chef of the Year" award to Chef Geoffrey Couper  Culinary Arts Instructor at Okanagan College.  

2009

Tomato Recipe Contest

Florida Tomato Committee’s  20th Annual "Best of the Best Recipe" Contest  Winner & Author

Second-year Okanagan College Culinary Arts Apprentice David Colombe an affable fan of great cooking and local ingredients came to media attention this year when he won grand prize in the Florida Tomato Committee’s 20th Annual Best of the Best Recipe Contest for his creation, Fire Roasted Florida Tomato Gumbo soup.

The $2,000 in prize money from that contest fueled his next endeavour – publishing a cookbook. Now, the book’s a reality and he’s engaged in marketing it when he’s not toiling at one of the best restaurants in the Okanagan, RauDZ and taking classes toward his Red Seal certification. (And, as if that’s not enough, Colombe also contributes his time and expertise to the Community Kitchen program in Vernon that supports individuals to use their resources more effectively t feed their families ona limited budget.)

“I really wanted to share my love for fresh and local and the book is a great vehicle for that,” says Colombe, who moved from the U.S. for the Culinary Arts program at Okanagan College. The book is 136 pages, features 71 recipes and more than 450 photos by Mark Reichert.

Recipes include  Harissa Lamb Lollies, Pasta Puttanesca, Okanagan Strawberry Sorbet, Blueberry Lavendar Ice Cream, Cardamon Spiced Rice, Chicken Artichoke Skewers .  . . the list goes on.

“Many people have asked me what the impetus, theme or direction has been for this book. The best answer I could come up with was that I am trying to show people that it is easy to create really good food in their own kitchen. People have become so busy in their daily lives that cooking has seemed to have taken a back seat to many other seemingly important tasks,” says Colombe. “This book has a small collection of recipes that are really big on flavour, but are not hard to create.”

Colombe has a website kwiditi.com/colombescooking and he’s also taking orders for the book via e-mail: dcolombe@hotmail.com. Cost is $28 plus delivery