Born in Lille in the north of France, Christophe started his culinary education at the age of sixteen. To develop his skills he worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in northern France. His passion for travelling took him to summer resorts in the French Riviera, the French Alps and finally to Canada in 1989. Once there he obtained Canadian citizenship in 1994.

Christophe has been with the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia since 1990 holding the position of Executive Chef since 1993. In 2017, Christophe and his team will move to the state-of-the-art Halifax Convention Centre. Currently under construction, the new Centre in the heart of the city will be able to cater for banquets of up to 3,000 people!

A member of the Canadian Culinary Federation as well as WACS, Christophe is a past member of Culinary Team Canada (2001-2005). By being part of Team Canada, Christophe has always shared the knowledge he has gained from international competitions. This knowledge and experience has helped young chefs to distinguish themselves in competitions at both the national and international level. He continues to expand both his personal horizons and those of the people he works with by being on the cutting edge of culinary trends.

In a Q&A session specially commissioned by the international Chaîne News On-line website, Christophe expanded on his thoughts on his profession and its future. See below.

Eric Jones
Chargé de Presse

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You have obviously inspired a lot of young chefs over the years, from where do you draw your inspiration?
I think it comes from travelling and trying new restaurants around the globe. I am always looking to see what I could do with an idea - how to transform it and make it appealing to a larger audience.

What do you think are the most significant trends, and perhaps challenges, faced by gastronomy today?
There can be no doubt that using local products is the trend in Canada. We have great producers and farmers in Nova Scotia. The challenge is creating and maintaining access to local products all year round in the large volumes that we require on a day-to-day basis. Of course, like many of my peers across the country, finding qualified young chefs is never an easy task!

What do you think today’s chefs should be doing to keep moving gastronomy to a new level?
More than anything else keep sharing information with your peers. Build relations with producers and share your ideas and food concepts you want to create. On a more personal level, give young chefs the tools they need to succeed; provide an encouraging environment to learn and grow; and most importantly, treat them with respect. We must all strive to provide a better image of life in the kitchen to attract younger chefs and give them the room to explore their culinary creativity.

What advice would you give to a young and aspiring chef?
It is not easy at the beginning but it is so rewarding in the end. There is no greater feeling than making a guest happy and receiving a thank you with a smile. That makes it all worthwhile.  Keep focused on your goals. Talk to many chefs and be curious about food and how it’s prepared. Never take criticism to heart. Practice new ideas and inspire future young chefs when they become the lead chef. Support apprentice programmes in your community in the future. Don’t forget how it all started for you!