Our Chefs
JONATHAN GARNIER
After spending his childhood in Quebec, Jonathan moved to France. Trained as a chef in various renowned establishments on the Côte d'Azur, he became private chef to a Middle Eastern royal family. His family roots, his openness to the world and his professional experience lead him to offer a cuisine with Mediterranean accents, which he loves to revisit.
After training at HEC Montréal, Jonathan Garnier and his brother Benjamin set about opening the prestigious La Guilde Culinaire cooking school in the heart of Montreal. In just a few years, their school became the benchmark in the field. In the company of Quebec's top chefs, Jonathan offers cooking classes for individuals and well-thought-out activities for businesses. With an authentic and generous approach, he transmits his love of good food and gives his courses an exquisite flavor.
TV SHOWS
Chef Jonathan Garnier first came to public attention as a judge and host on TVA and Casa TV's hit show Ça va chauffer !
During its three seasons, and has since appeared on a number of other shows, including Chef à la rescousse, Recettes signées Zeste, Un chef à l'oreille and TAG BBQ.
Since 2012, he has been a regular on TVA's Salut Bonjour! program, first with Gino Chouinard, and now with Ève-Marie Lortie.
AWARD AND RECOGNITION
Disciple of Escoffier
Les Laurier de la Gastronomie:
- Laurier du public 2019
Member of the Société des Chefs Cuisiniers et Pâtissiers du Québec:
- Chef of the Year 2019
- Chef of the Year 2020
- Personality of the Year 2021
Ambassador Cacao Barry 2010 - 2022
Ambassador Jennair 2015 - today
ALEX TRUDEAU
Alex has been working in the wine world since graduating as a Sommelier from L'ITHQ in 2008. He also holds a level 3 certificate with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. As wine is a field that makes you travel, he has had the chance to do internships in several vineyards around the world:
- Domaine Marcel Lapierre (Beaujolais, France, 2008)
- Fatorria La Massa (Chianti, Italy, 2008)
- Bent Road Winery (Granite Belt, Australia, 2017)
Most of his sommelier experience comes from a career spanning almost 10 years at the Maison Boulud at the Ritz-Carlton. During these years, he not only had the chance to share his knowledge with a diverse clientele and taste some of the great classics of the wine world, but also to support his colleagues in numerous training courses.
Today, as Restaurant Manager for the Rézin agency, his role is to unearth wines from private imports, then represent and sell them in licensed establishments in Montreal and Quebec City.
CARL VILLENEUVE - LEPAGE
Carl Villeneuve Lepage has been working as a sommelier at the renowned Toqué! restaurant for over two years. He is a graduate of the Institut du Tourisme et d'Hôtellerie du Québec in restaurant service, ASP sommellerie, Sensory Analysis of World Wines. He refined his art by adding the oenology certificate offered by the Université du Vin de Suze Larousse, in the French department of Drôme. His study also led him on the path to the Court of Master Sommelier and he achieved the third level (Advanced Sommelier) in 2015. He won the 2014 Meilleur Sommelier du Québec competition. He recently won Canada's Best Sommelier 2017 and will represent Canada at the Best Sommelier of the Americas competition in spring 2018.
MYLÈNE POISSON
Mylène Poisson has been working at Maison Boulud Montréal as a sommelier for five years. Graduating from the Professional Sommelier program at the ITHQ in 2009, Mylène went on to take the ITHQ's Sensory Analysis of World Wines course and achieved WSET Level 3 and Court of Master Sommelier Certified level. She refined her art and obtained a Certificate in Oenology from the Université du Vin de Suze-La-Rousse in France in 2012-2013 and finished second in the Best Sommelier of Quebec competition in 2017.
Mylène worked at Relais & Château L'Hostellerie de Plaisance in St-Émilion, where she was lucky enough to stay at Château Pavie and carry out the vinifications for the 2009 harvest. In 2018, she left for Australia, where she worked at Relais & Château Jonah's. In 2012, Mylène won the Relais Grands Chef Bursary and then headed to California, at the 3-star Michelin restaurant The Restaurant at Meadowood. Finally, she had the privilege of working for Gérard Basset, MSM 2010, MS, MW at his boutique hotel in the south of England. A hugely enriching experience.
GENEVIÈVE LECLERC
Geneviève Leclerc is a born artist. She has been actively involved in the creative arts since childhood, and her career path reflects this. Starting out as a dance and gymnastics teacher and choreographer, she then plunged into backstage management for professional fashion shows. She has also performed in the world of professional dance. Since then, Geneviève has continued to express her creativity through an eternal voyage of the senses, fueled by her thirst for learning. She has specialized training in the artisanal production of alcoholic beverages. She also holds a diploma in pastry-making from the École Hôtelière de Montréal Calixa-Lavallée, from which she received a Mention of Excellence from the Institute's Director. Always on the lookout for new gourmet challenges, she took part in the provincial Croquembouche pastry competition, whose theme was "Les fables de Lafontaine". While still a student, she came 3rd, before moving on to Belgium. There, she developed her talents at the renowned Maison Wittamer. She perfected her skills with specialized training in 3D cake design offered by Lauren Kitchens (Dallas), winner of the Food Network Cake Designer competition and the Food Network Challenge 3D Character, and with Kaysie Lackey (Seattle), triple winner of the Cake Master FoodNetwork Challenge cake decorating competition. She then specialized in cake sculpting and cold porcelain figurine training with Nathalie Quinquempois (Natasel) of France. Back in Montreal, she worked alongside Olivier Potier, Ludovic Fresse and became Pastry Chef at Montreal's famous "Le Petit Extra" restaurant. Today, Geneviève operates her own conceptual pastry and cake business under the name "La Petite Charlotte". Uniquely, she creates edible works of art based on her customers' interests, passions, backgrounds, careers and personalities.
IAN PERREAULT
A 1996 graduate of the Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec, Ian Perreault is well known on the Quebec gastronomic scene. After working as sous-chef at Jongleux Café, he made a name for himself with his first restaurant, Area, in 2000. In addition to numerous television appearances as a guest chef and columnist, in 2007 he published the book Cuisine revisitée. In 2008, he took over the helm of Ian Perreault Prêts-à-manger on Bernard Street in Montreal. In 2013, he became Chef-Associé at Chez Lionel.
RÉMY COUTURE
Rémy Couture's interest in pastry-making began when he was a child. After studying pastry, he was named Canada's best apprentice pastry chef, and went on to perfect his knowledge and techniques at Pierre Hermé Paris. In Montreal, he worked as a pastry chef in several restaurants before opening Crémy Pâtisserie in 2011. He is now renowned as the King of Donuts in Montreal, following his victory on "Donut ShowDown".
PHILIPPE VANCAYSEELE
Philippe Vancayseele is a graduate of the Brussels Culinary Institute (COOVI-PIVIT), where he completed his training in pastry, bakery, confectionery and chocolate in 1978. He then undertook a further year's training in pastry-making, confectionery and chocolate.
He then began his professional life in 2 well-known pastry shops in the Tienen region of Belgium, before joining the Mondose/Corné-Port-Royal chocolate and confectionery group (now known as Neuhaus-Mondose in Belgium) in 1985. After several years in the chocolate industry, Mr. Vancayseele accepted an honorary position as Professor Emeritus at the Brussels Culinary Institute (COOVI-PIVIT). In 1988, he graduated from the PHITS school in Brussels with a degree in biochemistry and nutrition. In 1994, he joined the prestigious Barry-Callebault chocolate group (also known as Callebault) as Technical Advisor and International Professor. This gave him the chance to pass on his knowledge and passion in over 70 countries and 6 languages. He is also known as a member of the team of chocolate chefs at the Callebault Chocolate Academy in Wieze, Belgium, which he took over in 2004. He became director of the Academy and head of the Belgian Ambassadors' Club.
He is now a regular jury member at international pastry, dessert and chocolate competitions. He has been honored on several occasions with the title of President of the Jury at the Brazilian Gourmet Show in Sao Paulo, as well as at WCM competitions in several other countries: Canada, Australia, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, to name but a few. He currently participates in a number of TV shows in several countries, in which he shares his chocolate expertise. In June 2012, Mr Vancayseele moved to Quebec and took on the role of Technical Director of the Barry-Callebault Chocolate Academy in Ste-Hyacinthe, which has now been based in Montreal since 2014.
LUDOVIC FRESSE
After studying pastry-making, Master Pâtissier Ludovic Fresse took up pastry-making in France, Luxembourg and the United States, before finally settling in Quebec in 1994. He was offered the position of Chocolatier at Pâtisserie De Gascogne, which he held for 3 years. With a wealth of experience around the world and a passion for working with chocolate, which he describes as "the best creator of pleasure", it was only natural that Ludovic Fresse should go on to create the "Chocolats Privilège" brand, for which he became Head Chocolatier. In 2000, Chef Ludovic Fresse was named Best Pastry Chef in the Montreal region. In 2017, he founded Chocolat Montréal (www.chocolatmontreal.com), a chocolate-making workshop where traditional know-how is combined with a raw, contemporary aesthetic.
ALI DAVID CARO GARCIA
Originally from Puebla, Mexico, Ali David Caro Garcia immigrated to Canada in the summer of 2000, and began training to learn French as soon as he arrived in Quebec. In 2001, he began working as a cook in a Montreal restaurant. Falling in love with the profession, he decided in 2007 to expand his knowledge by enrolling at the ITHQ. From then on, he went from strength to strength. In 2015, he took charge of the kitchen at the Mexican restaurant La Selva, where he passed on his love for the cuisine and his country. His cuisine has been acclaimed by internet users and gourmets of Latin cuisine alike.
MARC-ANDRÉ LAVERGNE
As a teenager, Marc-André Lavergne discovered fine cuisine thanks to his French uncle, a chef by profession. He marveled at the finesse of the duck and foie gras his uncle cooked. Through this contact, Marc-André discovered a vocation and a passion that would never leave him. An education rich in experience. After high school, he set off on a two-year adventure, inspired by the mythical saying: travel is for the young! He traveled across Canada, stopping off at Tofino's Wickaninnish Inn for his first professional experience. His passion for cooking led him back to the Centre de formation professionnelle Jacques-Rousseau, where he obtained a diploma in cooking. Warmly recommended by his chef uncle, he undertook his first internship at the TOQUÉ! restaurant. His work was noticed by Normand Laprise, who offered him a regular position in the kitchen. He started at the bottom of the ladder, but quickly worked his way up. His creativity, innovative spirit and love of good local produce gave him wings that would later lead him to the banks of the Richelieu, to Hostellerie les Trois Tilleuls, an establishment renowned for its receptions, banquets and weddings. This experience prompted him to further his training at another Relais & Châteaux, this time in France, at Michel Bras' Lagiole restaurant for a season at Le Suquet. Marc-André then spread his wings once again, landing at the ASZÙ restaurant, which has now become the ACCORDS wine bar and resto, as well as Le Bistro ACCORDS, owned by Chantal Fontaine, Guy A. Lepage and Jean-Pierre Desrosiers. With the same partners, Marc-André launched his Foodtruck in 2013, which toured the streets of Montreal for 3 seasons. His cuisine is "unpretentious", Marc-André spontaneously admits. It's a cuisine focused on local products, flavors and simplicity on the plate. He courts the best producers, market gardeners, fishmongers and butchers. Cooking to please is the credo of this young chef.
CHRISTOPHE MOREL
Natif de France, Christophe Morel est issu d’une famille de pâtissiers. Très tôt, il fait ses classes et devient pâtissier-chocolatier. Sa passion du chocolat, son goût pour les harmonies de saveurs, son talent et sa créativité le propulsent en avant scène. Récipiendaire de nombreux honneurs, Christophe Morel ne cesse d’éblouir les yeux et de régaler les palais ! Il remporte le 1er Prix au Trophée Canadien de la chocolaterie en 2004, le 1er Prix du chocolat à la Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie à Lyon en 2005 et, cette même année, il rafle la 4ème position du World Chocolate Master de Paris, 1er Prix au Canadien chocolate Masters en 2006 et en 2007 représentant canadien à la finale du World Chocolat Masters à Paris. Les chocolats haut de gamme de Christophe Morel renferment les meilleurs ingrédients sur le marché et le savoir-faire exceptionnel de son créateur ! Ancien directeur de la Chocolaterie Rolland, créateur de la collection de chocolats pour le Cesar Palace à Las Vegas, pour l'Hôtel Atlantis aux Bahamas... Ambassadeur cacao Barry... fournisseur de tous les desserts et chocolat aux soirées du Cirque Du Soleil...Savourer un chocolat signé Christophe Morel, c’est s’offrir un délicieux moment de plaisir !
FRÉDÉRIC GUILLON
Frédéric first worked in law for 15 years on his own in France. Wishing to turn to his passion, he enrolled at the Ferrandi culinary school in Paris to learn the bakery trade. He honed his skills at Le Grenier à Pain in Paris, and then decided to move across the ocean with his wife to Quebec to devote himself to his craft as a baker. He opened Boulangerie Chez Fred in 2012, where he works with his brother Ludovic, a pastry chef by trade, to return to traditional methods of making breads, viennoiseries and pastries.
TRAVAILLEZ AVEC NOUS
You have a restaurant, a catering service, you are a recognized and distinguished chef.
Would you like to :
- Share and pass on your know-how
- Develop your customer base and build loyalty
