Events

SUMMER 2019

It was wonderful to share experiences with everyone who attended the 56th National Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario at the end of May – thank you for dedicating yourself and your time to help us build and grow together. With a commitment to move the Federation into innovative and exciting new areas while honouring the tradition of the past 56 years, I trust that you got a sense of our dedication to BUILD THE FEDERATION BRANCH BY BRANCH. Whether you attended the conference or not, rest assured that we are ALL committed to sharing our experiences and knowledge to GROW OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

One of the areas highlighted at the conference was a deeper focus on soft skills discussion and development, including:

-      FAIR KITCHENS – a movement to inspire a new kitchen culture and a positive working environment where staff happiness is as important as diner satisfaction. For more information on this initiative and to join the movement, go to www.fairkitchens.ca

-      FUELING THE FUTURE – how Millennials and Gen Z diners (and staff) are changing the face of our industry (Did you know that 41% of Millennials and 78% of Gen Z diners purchase food away from home at least 2 times a week - these groups REALLY love eating out!)

-      IN THE WEEDS – a very personal and very important opportunity to share our own experiences with mental health, stress and addiction in our kitchens and our lives

We know how important it is to talk openly about our experiences and will continue to concentrate on these essential topics in the future.

In keeping with the GROWING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER theme, we are working on a collaborative, ongoing project – sharing successes, discussing areas for improvement and brainstorming together about what we need to do to SUSTAIN and GROW our federation. This began with a half-day of breakout sessions at the conference, focusing on the themes of Member Engagement, Brand Visibility and Creating Infrastructure. We’ve now compiled all of the amazing feedback from the sessions and will be reaching out to the branches shortly to ensure that all members are involved in continuing the discussion and planning the future. It is an important time for the federation – GET INVOLVED, MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUILD AND GROW TOGETHER.

I wish each and every one of you an enjoyable summer, with time to rejuvenate and spend time with family, friends and colleagues. Thank you for your continued dedication and support of the Culinary Federation. I look forward to growing our community together into the future.

Sincerely,

Chef Simon Smotkowicz

President, Canadian Culinary Federation