Burnbrae Farms Culinary Academy

Burnbrae Farms Culinary Academy

The Burnbrae Culinary Academy is back with daily cooking classes throughout the 10 days of the fair. You’ll learn tricks of the trade from the best in the biz, use top-shelf local ingredients and enjoy a delicious meal. 

Notable Chefs in this year’s lineup include Michael Bonacini, co-founder of Oliver & Bonacini, Alida Solomon of Tutti Matti, Celebrated Chef, Author and Restauranteur Trevor Lui of Bao Bird Eats and Superfresh Night Market, Carl Heinrich of Richmond Station, Eva Chin of Avling & Soy Luck Club, Cory Vitiello of Flock Rotisserie & Greens, Joseph Shawana, Julie Miguel Missy Hui, Bashire Munye, and Diala Canelo of Diala’s Kitchen.

To purchase a $20 ticket upgrade for Culinary Academy Sessions please click below. Please note, Culinary Academy ticket purchases do not include General Admission to The Fair. Schedule subject to change without notice.

Our 2023 schedule will be coming next summer... in the meantime check out our 2022 lineup of Chefs!

Cindy Fung

Chili Crab in a Curry Egg Sauce with Steamed Mantou
November 04 - 12:00 PM
Presented by Burnbrae Farms
People might know Cindy Fung as @caviarcitizen. Cindy grew up in Windsor, Ontario but she's been living in Toronto for 10 years. She is a self-taught chef who learned from corporate brands such as Joeys and Milestones. She also interned with Masterchef, DemonChef, Alvin Leung at his 2-Michelin star restaurant in Hong Kong. Pre-pandemic, she was a partner at Pray Tell Bar, creating a beautiful brunch and snack program.  Currently, she is working on some of her own start-up brands and an umbrella company, Caviar Citizen Inc, a lifestyle, event and hospitality group. Before Caviar Citizen was developed, she started Preserve Indulgence in 2014 from her condo space as a secret pop-up supper club selling tickets for a story-telling dinner experience. Another recognizable brand is her prepared meal company, Sixteen Ounce. A subscription based delivery services that she created in the beginning of the pandemic to promote healthy eating that is delicious and easy to reheat.  When she's not in the kitchen, she loves indulging in feel good moments and creating food as art; Cindy loves food, fashion, makeup and skincare. She gets her inspiration from her adventures and travels. You might find her riding her longboard on the coast of LA or just grabbing some street eats anywhere.

Julie Miguel

Pasta Carbonara
November 04 - 13:30 PM
Presented by Eggs Farmers of Ontario
Julie Miguel is a digital content producer with a specialization in food media as well as an active food content creator. The focus of her blog, Daily Tiramisu, is to empower home cooks to be fearless in the kitchen and she does this by taking traditionally difficult recipes and making them easier to execute. Cooking is something that Julie has always been fiercely passionate about. She began cooking after the tragic passing of her Mother at age 15. She is not a trained chef, however, she is a home cook with a lot of real life experience who has trained with many well-known chefs. Julie continues to broaden her culinary experience through her work. In May of 2016, she completed a culinary training and Chinese culture program in Suzhou, China. Julie continues to expand her culinary experiences through travelling coast to coast in Canada as well as favourites such as Portugal, France, Greece, Mexico and Jamaica. Julie's food media career began after she placed 7th on the inaugural season of CTV's MasterChef Canada. Since then, she started her blog and has made numerous appearances on CTV Your Morning, The Marilyn Denis Show, Fridge Wars and other National and Local Television channels. Julie continues to make regular appearances as a culinary expert on Cityline as well as hosting live cooking segments. She has partnered with many nationally recognized food and lifestyle brands and is the co-founder of The Happy Kitchen, a program aimed at teaching youth life skills in the kitchen. She has grown a significant social media following through her diverse work and continues to find innovative ways to engage her fans. When she's not developing recipes for her clients, Julie has taken a leadership role in other parts of the industry. She has been part of the Program Advisory Council at Centennial College where she acted as an industry advisor for their Food Media program. She was also the Blog Award Chair for the Taste Canada Awards, Canada's highest honour for food and beverage writing, where she administered the Blog Award. Her pride and joy are her two sons, Dean and Dylan. They are her personal taste testers and they inspire her daily to continue to find family friendly recipes and content to share with her followers.

Matt Dean Pettit

MDP's Filet "eh" Fish
November 04 - 15:30 PM
Presented by Metro
From his first job as a busboy at the young age of 13 to line cook at 14, Matt's passion for the food industry started early. Matt's love for cooking comes from his mother, his passion has spanned over 20 years of experience in hospitality. Known for his exuberant energy and dynamic personality, Matt's passion for food is highlighted in his many ventures including his critically acclaimed Best- Selling cookbook, "The Great Lobster Cookbook" published by Random House, which was followed up by "The Great Shellfish Cookbook" in 2018. He is also the force behind the ghost kitchen concept "Coast by MDP", the handcrafted tableware company Spirit Wares, online grocery program- Salt Gourmet Foods and the organic, functional mushroom brand PowerPlant Superfoods! If this isn't enough you can catch Matt on Dine and Dash Radio. Matt is a sought after spokesperson and has done national work with such brands as Budweiser, The Blue Jays, the NFL, Canola Farmers and much more. Matt regularly appears on National TV as a food expert on The Social, Cityline and Your Morning! He is the Toronto Blue Jay's biggest fan and can be found at any sporting event that comes through the city. Matt's enthusiasm is infectious! He puts 110% into everything that he does. Whether it is grilling in the backyard, creating something healthy to fuel his busy days or his expertise with seafood- there is nothing that he can't make delicious!

Diala Canelo

Shakshuka
November 04 - 17:00 PM
Presented by Burnbrae Farms
She is a pastry chef passionate about food, baking and travel. She loves photographing everything as She goes! The recipes you will find on Diala’s Kitchen are based on enjoying the process of making a healthy meal using the ingredients you have on hand, finding inspiration in the fresh produce around you and baking for friends. On any given day, you’ll find her around the globe, walking the streets of some of my favourite cities, from where she finds inspiration to bring into my kitchen. The meals she makes for her friends and family take less than 35 minutes to make and a delicious dinner shouldn’t have you in the kitchen for longer than that. She hopes you enjoy all her recipes and travel recs from around the world.

Michael Bonacini

Spaghetti Carbonara with Wine Pairings from Konzelmann Estate Winery
November 04 - 19:00 PM
Presented by Burnbrae Farms
This session is 19+ Celebrity chef Michael Bonacini is the co-founder of Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality, one of Canada’s leading restaurant and event groups. With locations in Toronto, Montreal, Saskatoon, Calgary and beyond, O&B’s diverse portfolio currently includes a collection of unique and innovative restaurants, event spaces, a bakery, and several strategic partnerships. Born and raised in Tenby, South Wales, his North Italian father and Welsh mother both had a huge impact on their children’s culinary upbringing – his sister is also a chef. Bonacini spent his youth helping out with the family-run hotel business, where he learned the ins and outs of the hospitality industry. Bonacini trained classically under Chef Anton Mosimann at London’s Dorchester Hotel, before immigrating to Canada in 1985 and partnering with veteran restaurateur Peter Oliver in 1993. His first restaurant collaboration with Oliver was a New York style bistro named Jump. Today their operations have grown to include à la carte dining, quick service, catering, and private dining, with restaurants and event venues across four provinces. Bonacini was among the first chefs to showcase regional Canadian cuisine with his groundbreaking restaurant Canoe. In 1996, he was awarded the Ontario Hostelry Institute's first ever Gold Award in recognition of his significant contribution to culinary excellence in Ontario. He was the host of COOK LIKE A CHEF and has been a recurring guest chef on daytime talk shows including CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show. In 2010, Michael released his first cookbook, 3 Chefs: The Kitchen Men, a collaborative effort with fellow television chefs Massimo Capra and Jason Parsons. Since 2014, Michael has served as a judge on CTV’S MasterChef Canada. In 2019, he was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Michael’s Toronto restaurants include Canoe, Auberge du Pommier, Jump, Biff’s Bistro, Leña, Sap, Babel and Maison Selby, just to name a few. Beyond Ontario, O&B’s portfolio features The Guild, Sub Rosa and Buffo in Calgary; Braven, Kindred and Alchemy in Edmonton; Bar George in Montreal; and Drift, Bar Sofia and Café Lunette in Halifax. The company’s private dining and events division manages a number of large-scale event facilities, including Malaparte at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto Region Board of Trade, Arcadian at Hudson’s Bay Queen Street, The Carlu, the Le Mount Stephen hotel in Montreal, the Hudson event complex in Calgary. Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality credits its success to the development of a strong corporate culture, where excellence of food quality and service are valued above all else.

Eva Chin

Dan Jiao Egg Dumplings
November 05 - 10:30 AM
Presented by Egg Farmers of Ontario
Born and raised on a farm in Hawaii, chef Eva Chin grew up immersed in the breathtaking bounty that Mother Nature has to offer, inspired by the mountains, the ocean, and earth. She learned at an early age that food is the connection between people and the land. This connection is translated into her cuisine. Born and raised on her grandmother’s farm in Kahuku, Hawaii; equipped with Samoan and Singaporean heritage, food knowledge, and the nature surrounding her, Eva’s career as a chef was no surprise. Eva has staged and cooked at renowned restaurants around the world, including Maaemo in Norway, Jason Atherton Pollen Street Social, and Brae in Australia She credits much of her cooking style and success to her time spent working under Shane Osborn. Her favourite professional accomplishment was a lauded eight-month New American pop-up in Hong Kong called The Lazy Hog, adjacent to Yardbird. Prior to joining Royal Dinette, Eva cooked Pidgin and Hawksworth in Vancouver, before taking a brief opportunity to work with Dominique Crenn at Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. Following her stint as Chef de Cuisine at Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar in Vancouver, Eva made the move to Toronto to helm the kitchen as renowned Kōjin (by Momofuku) where she brought diners the Hawaiin concept of Aloha ʻĀina—love of the land. Most recently, Chef Eva has focused on launching her passion brand, The Soy Luck Club, telling life stories through her food. She is also a sought-after chef consultant to the industry, strategizing for retail and restaurant operations alike. Chef Eva is an avid voice for the community and can be found doing great work with leading brands and commodities. “I fell in love with food as a child. The food in Hawaii is a great reflection of what progressive and seasonally inspired American food is: a mix of all the cultures, all the flavours. My cooking is about all the dishes we grew up eating, dishes that bring back childhood memories. It is about interpreting those dishes and translating those memories, but with the use of more seasonal and local ingredients. I love the Pacific Northwest and all that it encompasses — the beautiful ingredients, the seasonal change – and I want my food to showcase that too.”