inthekitchen
than 30 years of growth later, the centre
has undergone a massive expansion which
nearly doubled the building in size, with a
gorgeous glass façade sprawling over York
Avenue linking the old with the new.
For chef Quentin, all this change meant
the chance to design a dream kitchen in
the new build. The Convention Centre
has always been known for its sumptuous
gala meals, and a second kitchen meant
the capability to cater larger functions, and
accommodate kosher events. The south
building kitchen gleams with state of the
art appliances, all with quick detaching
gas connections and wheels for easy
transportation and cleaning. Super-sized
vats for sauces and soups sit across from a
wall lined with walk-in ovens, each capable
of holding 2,800 dishes on rotating shelves
that ensure even cooking.
as executive chef involves menu prep,
purchasing, building relationships with
suppliers, quality control, meeting with
clients, and managing staff—a growing
number which hovers around 85-90 in
the culinary department. While making
sure day to day operations are running
smoothly (including the Centre Place
Cafe, which features full lunch entrées
and changing daily specials), developing
custom menus and executing gala events
are commonplace tasks.
For the upcoming New Year’s Eve
banquet (selections from the menu of
which are found on these pages), dinner
for 1,000 will be in the hands of about 49
kitchen staff. Behind the scenes, the sleek
stainless steel space becomes a buzzing
hive of activity as assembly lines of cooks
chop, stir, sauté, and simmer.
“Whatever you can serve one person, you can deliver to
hundreds.”
High capacity equipment is necessary
to meet the demands of catering so many
large events. Annually, the Convention
Centre pours 1,300,000 cups of coffee,
serves 100,000 chicken breasts and 70,000
beef steaks, and goes through 90,000
pounds of potatoes, 25,000 pounds of
carrots and 11,000 pounds of onions.
Harty always knew he was destined for
the kitchen. Like many chefs, he learned
his passion from his family, growing up
cooking with his mother and two older
sisters. At fourteen, he began working as a
dishwasher at a hotel, but was soon lured
out of the dish pit and into the kitchen.
This was the beginning of a career in
which, other than a few years spent in a
small restaurant, Harty found himself
behind the scenes in the hotel industry and
at large properties. Drawn to the challenge
of these large-sca le operations, the
seasoned chef enjoys the impact of cooking
for a crowd. “Whatever you can serve one
person, you can deliver to hundreds.”
September marked chef Quentin’s 21st
year at the Convention Centre. His role
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ciao! / oct/nov / two thousand sixteen
Each plate contains several elements
which may be cooked and served at
different temperatures and times. Side
dishes are prepped in the kitchen and sent
in giant rolling food warmers to service
pantries, where they are plated and sauced.
Mains, like beef tenderloin, need to be
prepared moments before guests dig in,
and are cut and plated immediately before
service.
Despite its size, attention to detail
makes the Convention Centre’s meals
outstanding. Vegetarians dining at an
event don’t end up with a plate of side
dishes, but with their own specially
crafted entrée. Harty takes care to source
quality ingredients, knowing that fresh
food translates into flavour on the plate.
“It’s not just about pleasing the client,”
says Harty. “It’s about pleasing every single
attendee.”
With so many responsibilities, chef
Quentin has a lot on his plate. But he sees
his role simply as delivering an exceptional
experience. Whether serving one diner or
1,000, it’s all about the taste.