Fleming College

Peterborough ON – (November 21, 2019) – Fleming College’s Chef Steve Benns wins top prize at the Provincial Culinary Challenge on November 4 at the International Centre in Mississauga, ON. Chef Benns will move on to compete at the National Conference in Saskatoon June 1 – 3, 2020.

Chef Benns, a seasoned faculty member in the School of Trades and Technology at Fleming College, has taught at the College for 20 years. To win the Black Box style competition, Chef Benns had to prepare and present one main course dish for six people with appropriate garnish in 60 minutes. Competitors had 15 minutes to unpack and gather ingredients from a common table, 15 minutes to write a menu description, with cooking time commencing once menus were submitted to the judges. Each Black Box included one protein and one starch that must have been used in the course dish.

“I was lucky enough to take the Black Box items that I received and provided the judges with a plate that included turkey breast and wild rice,” said Chef Benns. “An hour should have been plenty of time, but I had to adapt and change directions with a couple items to get them on the plate. The last 15 minutes was a blur.”

The Culinary Federation unites chefs and cooks across Canada in a common dedication to professional excellence. The Federation connects professional chefs and cooks looking for community involvement and learning more about innovative products and services that will help with their career and culinary skills development.

“Developing students into culinary professionals has been an exciting part of my career at Fleming College,” continued Chef Benns. “I have been privileged to train many students for the workforce and culinary competitions, and always push them to learn from their mistakes, or even better, to not make many. Luckily none of my students were at the event as I made a couple errors that would have made their heads spin.”

“Participating in opportunities such as the Provincial Culinary Challenge provides our faculty the opportunity to hone their skills and earn the recognition that is certainly deserved,” said Fleming College President Maureen Adamson. “Congratulations Chef Benns, we wish you success in Nationals next June.”

For more information about the Culinary programs at Fleming College, please visit: https://flemingcollege.ca/culinary

About Fleming College
Fleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 75,000 alumni.

-30-

Media, for more information please contact:

Sara O’Halloran

Communications Officer 

sara.ohalloran@flemingcollege.ca

705.749.5530 x 1366