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My early years were spent in Singapore and Malaysia exposing me to food that a 6 year-old from Fife (Scotland) would not normally have had the opportunity to experience. I did not always know what I was eating. Perhaps it was then that I conceived of the notion that it is better to eat first and ask questions later. I do not believe that I set out to become a chef, but food was never far from my side.
My initial apprenticeship training was at the North Gloucestershire College of Technology, as a Bakery and Confectionary student. I exhibited a natural talent for baking and earned academic distinctions in Bakery Science and Bakery overall. My training at the college began with baking and ended with my being a chef – I am not sure of the reasoning for this, but I am glad that it came to pass. |
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| When my formal training was complete, and with a basic foundation of cookery knowledge in tow, I decided to travel, eventually ending up in Canada. In 1981, James Morris offered me a Chef de Partie position at Rundles, and by the end of my first season I was promoted to Chef de Cuisine, a position I hold today. Working for James Morris, at Rundles Restaurant, always seemed a natural fit for me – and it continues to fit today.
I was young and keen to broaden my exposure to the best possible cuisine in the world. I wanted to see what I knew, and what I still had to learn. Therefore, during my early years, in the off-season at Rundles, Jim sent me away to France to continue my training under the tutelage of some of the modern masters at various Michelin starred restaurants, including: Jamin, Taillevent, Tour d’Argent and Les Frères Troigros. During this period, I also made the time to complete stages at well recognized North American restaurants, including: JoJo’s and the Quilted Giraffe in New York, and Chez Panisse in California. After three years of staging in France and North America, the time came to put what I had seen and learned into practice. Self-development now came to the forefront. In 1984, James Morris, along with co-director Eleanor Kane, founded the Stratford Chefs School, and I became The Master of Cookery at the school. I became responsible for the creation and maintenance of the practical cookery curriculums, in addition to the dinner lab menus. It seemed a natural extension of the two facets of my job that I would start teaching private cooking classes for people who have a passion for food and wine. I began offering private cooking classes in 1986. That year, I taught one weekend class consisting of 8 people. Today, I teach 6 weekend classes to approximately 90 people.
Chris Pinney was born in Bath, Ontario, a small city outside of Kingston. After completing a four-year Political Sciences degree at the University of Waterloo in 1996, Chris traveled extensively in Northeastern Europe and Spain. While traveling Chris discovered his love of food, and upon his return to Canada, Chris began cooking professionally. Chris graduated from the Stratford Chefs School in 2000 and has worked at Rundles Restaurant for the past six years, as its sous chef for the past three. Chris has furthered his culinary training as a stagiare at Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin, and Daniel Boulud’s Café Daniel in New York City, and with Jamie Kennedy at Jamie Kennedy at the ROM and Keith Frogget at Scaramouche in Toronto. Chris has assisted with Rundles Cooking Classes for the past three years. |
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