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Top Chef Canada: Get to Know the B.C. Contestants

Want to enjoy the cuisine of Canada’s Top Chefs? Visit these B.C. restaurants to get a taste of the competition

By Alison Brierley /

Credit: Food Network

Homegrown Talent

Season 4 of the Food Network’s Top Chef Canada has kicked off, featuring six B.C. contestants all vying for the coveted cooking crown. Get a taste of the competition by learning more about these local culinary competitors – and find out where you can try their dishes.



Credit: Food Network

Shelley Robinson

At 49, Shelley Robinson is the oldest contestant on Top Chef Canada and brings 25 years of cooking experience to the table. Educated at The Dubrelle French Culinary Academy and Vancouver Community College, this Kamloops native knows a thing or two about being a chef. In her career, Robinson has co-authored four cookbooks, won her episode of Chopped Canada and currently works as Executive Chef at Delta Sun Peaks in Kamloops.



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Dawn Doucette

The phrase “third time’s a charm” rings true for this Vancouver local who auditioned for Top Chef Canada three times before making the cut. Dawn Doucette received her culinary training from the California Culinary Academy and has been cooking ever since. Throughout her 20 plus years as a chef she has worked in various kitchens and owned her own restaurant and catering company. Doucette’s keen palette contributes to the Earls restaurant franchise, where she works as a product developer chef.



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Pierre Lamielle

Born in North Vancouver, Pierre Lamielle now resides in Calgary where he combines his love for the art of cooking with his love for the art of illustration. After working as an illustrator designer for newspapers, Lamielle quit to follow his other passion and become a chef. His education at the New York French Culinary Institute taught him the skills necessary to excel at cooking, while his artistic sensibility adds presentation points. Lamielle has found success in blending these talents to author the illustrated cookbook, Kitchen Scraps, and to create a food-inspired clothing line called Food On Your Shirt.



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Ruth Wigman

Formerly the executive chef at Blue Water in Vancouver, you can still taste the influence of Ruth Wigman in their menu. Born in Burnaby, Wigman’s culinary career took flight when she began working at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. Since then Wigman has worked in Bermuda at the Fairmont Southampton as part of the kitchen team who contributed to its five-diamond designation. Wigman currently resides in Newfoundland where she works as the sous chef at Bistro Sofia.



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Evelynn Takoff

Evelynn Takoff was born and raised on a farm in Kelowna. This early exposure of the farm-to-table journey allowed Takoff to gain an understanding of the process of cooking and a true appreciation for food. Takoff believes this understanding is an asset in the kitchen and is the driving force behind her simple, fresh and local food philosophy. A self-trained chef, Takoff apprenticed at RauDZ Regional Table and now works as a chef at Micro Bar Bites in Kelowna.



Credit: Food Network

Michael Robinson

Vancouver native Michael Robinson has been cooking for over 10 years with the mission to never leave a kitchen until he is the best cook. This dedication to cooking has taken him across the globe to Australia, where he worked as a chef, and back home where he currently works as the executive chef for the Oakwood Canadian Bistro. Reserve your table online to try Robinson’s cooking in person.