At Top Toques, we take pride in participating in a wide array of prestigious culinary competitions that highlight the skills and creativity of our chefs. Our institute serves as a hub for culinary talent, where the art of cooking is celebrated and honed through rigorous and exciting contests. Whether you're passionate about traditional Canadian dishes or innovative culinary techniques, these competitions provide a platform for you to shine.
Discover, compete, and excel with Top Toques!
We are thrilled to announce that our students Gabrielle Cow, (Culinary Management Program), and Hillary Masha (Chef de Cuisine Program), Team Top Toques Institute of Culinary Excellence, competed in the 2024 Taste Canada Cooks the Books student cooking competition presented by Canada Beef!
On Sunday, October 20th, they stepped into the Kitchen Arena to battle it out with recipes showcasing 'Global Flavours Grow in Canada’ at Cirillo’s Academy.
All recipes included a cut of AAA Canadian Beef as centre-of-plate and an assortment of Lactalis dairy products. Recipes called for at least 60% of ingredients that are grown, produced and/or raised in Canada. The teams were invited to use the What’s in Season section of the Canadian Food Focus website as their helpful resource. They also incorporate a handful of California Prunes and California Walnuts, and a variety of Club House herbs and spices.
To find out more information on this event please visit the Taste Canada website.
We are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our talented students, Gabrielle Cow and Hillary Masha, who recently represented the Top Toques Institute of Culinary Excellence in the 2024 Taste Canada Cooks the Books student cooking competition. Their dedication and passion for the culinary arts truly shone throughout this intense competition, and we couldn't be prouder.
Competing against teams from seven Canadian culinary colleges across three provinces, our students showcased their creativity, skill, and focus in a live cooking event judged by a panel of seasoned and nationally respected chefs. On October 20th, they stepped into the Kitchen Arena at Cirillo’s Academy, proudly presenting dishes that highlighted the theme of "Global Flavours Grow in Canada."
Hillary and Gabrielle exemplify what it means to be true culinary artists. Their innovative approaches to cooking, combined with their strong team mentality, are attributes that are not only vital in professional kitchens but also essential for success in the culinary world. They have demonstrated remarkable teamwork and resilience, and their performance reflects the high standards of our program.
We are immensely proud of Hillary and Gabrielle for their hard work, creativity, and passion for the craft. Their journey in this competition serves as an inspiration to all of us. We look forward to seeing how they continue to develop their skills and make their mark in the culinary industry. Congratulations once again, and thank you for representing Top Toques with such excellence!
Cooks the Books is a cooking competition that invites Canadian culinary students from across the nation to compete for the title of Canada’s Best New Student Chefs.
Each team is to create their own unique dish following the Cooks the Books criteria based on the 2023 theme: New Canadian Flavours Rooted in Tradition
Drawing inspiration from their own cultural cuisines, heritages and traditions, students are challenged to develop a recipe using a variety of Canadian ingredients, and a unique cut of local Canadian Beef.
On October 29th, a Student Team representing Top Toques will be competing in the 2023 Taste Canada Cooks the Books Competition. The Competitors: Alexandra Carolan-Laing and Vaylene Phillips, will be competing as Team Top Toques Institute of Culinary Excellence for the chance to be named Taste Canada’s Best New Student Chefs! Alexandra and Vaylene are currently enrolled in the Culinary Management Program at the College.
To find out more information on this event please visit the Taste Canada website at: https://tastecanada.org/2023-cooks-the-books/
Cooks the Books is a cooking competition that invites Canadian culinary students from across the nation to compete for the title of Canada’s Best New Student Chefs. On October 29th, 2023 our student team Alexandra Carolan-Laing and Vaylene Phillips, will be competed as Team Top Toques Institute of Culinary Excellence for the chance to be named Taste Canada’s Best New Student Chefs! Alexandra and Vaylene are currently enrolled in the Culinary Management Program at the College.
Watch on as student teams from culinary schools across the country enter the Kitchen Arena at Cirillo's Academy on Sunday, October 29th, to cook their hearts out!
The student chefs will prepare their dishes, start-to-finish, live in front of the crowd, and then present the final plates to the judge’s panel. The winners will be announced on Monday, October 30th, during the 2023 Taste Canada Awards Soirée.
The theme for this year's competition is: New Canadian Flavours Rooted in Tradition. Drawing inspiration from their own cultural cuisines, heritages and traditions, students are challenged to develop a recipe using a variety of Canadian ingredients, and a unique cut of local Canadian Beef. The students will explore the new web-based education tool, the Canadian Beef Information Gateway, to select their/our choice of beef cut. The Gateway has information on over 70 cuts of beef with cut descriptions, complete nutrition info per cut, how-to-cook recommendations, over 300 recipe videos, and more.
All recipes will also reflect the seasonality of Canadian ingredients, with 60% of ingredients grown, produced and/or raised in Canada. The students are invited to use the What’s in Season section of the Canadian Food Focus website as a helpful resource.
Each team will also include California Prunes, Tabasco Sauce and a variety of Club House For Chefs spices into their dishes.
For more information about the event please visit the Taste Canada Website at: https://tastecanada.org/2023-cooks-the-books/.
Margaret Joan Miller and Aidan Moher
Location
Date
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Toronto Congress Centre
Wednesday May 1st - May 3rd, 2024
Multi-Day Event
The Skills Ontario Competition provides an exceptional platform for outstanding students to showcase their expertise and prove themselves as top performers in their respective fields. Over two and a half days, participants captivate educators, family members, friends, and potential employers. Winners receive prestigious gold, silver, or bronze medals, often accompanied by monetary prizes, and earn the chance to advance to the Skills Canada National Competition, with potential progression to the WorldSkills Competition.
Aside from the competitive events, the Skills Ontario Competition includes various components such as the Career Exploration Showcase, the Young Women's Conference, the First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Conference, and the Closing Ceremonies.
Representing Top Toques at the 2024 Skills Competition are student competitors Margaret (Maggie) Miller and Joshua Webber. This year holds significant importance for Maggie, who secured the Silver Medal on Wednesday, May 8th, 2024, at the Skills Ontario Competition.
In a prior achievement on November 8th, 2022, Aidan Moher and Maggie Miller, both students from Top Toques Institute of Culinary Excellence, brought home the silver award at the Taste Canada Cooks the Books competition in Toronto.
Notably, in 2018, our alumna Kateryna Gryshchenko earned the Silver Medal at the Skills Ontario Competition, subsequently representing Ontario at the National Skills Competition.
Location
Date
Time
The Skills Ontario Competition offers a unique opportunity for top students to demonstrate that they are the best of the best in their field. Over the two and a half days, they turn the heads of their educators, family, friends and prospective employers. Winners are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals - and some with monetary awards, too - and the opportunity to compete at the Skills Canada National Competition. From there, competitors could be headed to a WorldSkills Competition.
In addition to contests, the Skills Ontario Competition has several components, including the Career Exploration Showcase, the Young Women's Conference, the First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Conference, and the Closing Ceremonies.
Margaret (Maggie) Miller is the student competitor representing Top Toques at the 2023 Skills Competition. This is an important year for Maggie. After the provincial competition, she will have the opportunity to compete in the Skills Canada National Competition held in Winnipeg. From there, Maggie could be headed to a WorldSkills Competition in Singapore.
On November 8th, 2022, Aidan Moher and Maggie Miller, both students at Top Toques Institute of Culinary Excellence, brought home the silver award at the Taste Canada Cooks the Books competition in Toronto.
In 2018, our graduate Kateryna Gryshchenko won the Silver Medal in the Skills Ontario Competition and moved on to represent Ontario in the National Skills Competition.
