Executive Chef Ryan O’Flynn of The Westin Edmonton captured gold at the Canadian Culinary Championship this weekend in Kelowna, B.C. He took top honours in the competition which had winning chefs from 11 Canadian cities, coast to coast competing to crown Canada’s top Chef.
Chef O’Flynn’s winning dish was Terrine of pine smoked Alberta river sturgeon and cured Quebec foie gras, wild North West Territory morels, textures of Okanagan apples, and toasted brioche, paired with Sandhill Small Lots 2013 Viognier. He was joined by members of his culinary brigade from The Westin Edmonton for the competition.
“I am honoured to be able to bring this prize back home to the City of Champions and the team at The Westin Edmonton,” said Ryan O’Flynn. “This event was a celebration of Canadian excellence in cuisine, wine, arts and athletic achievement. A special thanks to the organizers of the Canadian Culinary Championship and Gold Medal Plates for giving me this opportunity to share my passion while supporting the Canadian Olympic Foundation.”
Chef O’Flynn was representing the city of Edmonton after winning the Gold Medal Plates event in October. Celebrated in eleven cities across Canada in 2014, the Gold Medal Plates feature the premier chefs in each city in a competition to crown a gold, silver and bronze medal culinary team, with the gold medal recipients moving on to compete at the Canadian Culinary Championships.
“The entire city and team at The Westin Edmonton is very proud of Chef O’Flynn for this achievement,” said Joumana Ghandour, General Manager of The Westin Edmonton. “It is a pleasure to work so closely with such a talented, creative and passionate Chef. We are thrilled that this award will bring Chef’s talent as well as Edmonton’s culinary scene into the spotlight even more!”
The Grand Finale for the two-day culinary event took place at the sold-out Delta Grand Okanagan. The event started with a Friday evening Mystery Wine Competition with chefs preparing a dish suited to a bottle of wine they received less than 24 hours before. The event brought together the best and brightest from the Canadian culinary world as well as arts, culture and athletics.
Proceeds from Gold Medal Plates and the Canadian Culinary Championships are given to the Canadian Olympic Foundation to support high performance athletes, with over $9.5 million raised to date. These events are supported by corporate partners and individuals from across Canada, committed to Canadian excellence.
