News Article

CNA grad takes on culinary challenge of a lifetime


1/30/2007 3:07:11 PM


James Dillon, graduate of College of the North Atlantic’s Cooking program, represents Newfoundland and Labrador in The Next Great Chef – a nationally televised culinary challenge. The young man is no stranger to competition and has already placed in several competitions, including provincial and national Skills Canada events and Knorr culinary challenges.

Though James Dillon of St. John’s is familiar with cooking competitions – he’s got seven under his belt – he says competing in The Next Great Chef was to date, the best experience of his life.

“I’ve had the opportunity to travel and meet a lot of great people,” says the 22 year-old. “There are so many talented young chefs at the competition and it was a pleasure to meet them all. And getting to mingle with mentors – the who’s who of Canadian chefs – was amazing.”

The Next Great Chef is an exciting prime-time documentary series featuring 10 of Canada’s Junior Provincial Champions under 25 years of age competing against each other for the title of best chef. Each competitor qualified in their home province last year to enter the seating tournament in Ottawa at the National Chef’s Conference. That’s where the top 10 were selected for the show.

“Everyone had had two weeks to come up with a menu and they flew us to Ottawa for the tournament,” says James.

“No one knows how they ranked to determine the first five episodes.”

The series began airing January 5 and can be viewed each Friday at 8 p.m. on local CH and Global television stations. Last year, season one of The Next Great Chef aired as a half-hour series; this year’s extended format comes in 11 one-hour shows with the ultimate competition aired in the final episode on March 16. Dillon is facing off with Manitoba’s competitor Kelly Cattani in episode five on February 2.

In the elimination rounds covered in the first five episodes, the young chefs compete against each other for coveted round two standing. Five winners and one wild card contestant will move on to hash out four top competitors, the two top seats then compete in the finale episode to see who will take the title.

According to The Next Great Chef official website, the ultimate goal is to win over the taste buds of the discerning judges as well as the hearts of the national television audience in the “toughest competition of their lives.”

And the judges are formidable – four world-class chefs. The show’s most distinguished judge Bruno Marti is Chairman of the Canadian Culinary Federation, and former world champion at the Culinary Olympics. Meeting Marti was a particular highlight for Dillon.

“He is one of the most knowledgeable and respected chefs in Canada and has received an unbelievable amount of accolades worldwide,” Dillon says.

Dillon has just returned from wrapping up filming the show in Victoria, BC. He can’t reveal final results – we all have to wait with the rest of the country to see who takes the top spot. In the meantime, the College of the North Atlantic Cooking graduate is working at Restaurant 21 in St. John’s, building the hours he needs to qualify for his Red Seal Journeyperson’s Cook designation. The Red Seal designation is only open to those 25 years or older. It then takes five year’s experience as a Chef with the Red Seal before one can even write the exam for the highest level – the Certified Chef of Cuisine.

“It’s pretty much a doctorate of culinary arts,” says Dillon. “But I don’t mind putting in the time and getting the experience. It’s to everyone’s advantage not to rush into it… spend time being an apprentice while you can. Otherwise you’ll have your designation, but you won’t know as much.”

Tune in to see James Dillon showcase his culinary finesse on Friday, February 2!

For more information on the show, you can visit The Next Great Chef website: http://www.thenextgreatchef.com/


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For more information contact:

Tanya Alexander
Public Information Officer
College of the North Atlantic
709 643.7928