Born and raised just outside of Montreal, Quebec, Shawn Jackson has taken a simple approach to his culinary journey and focus. Opening restaurants in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto, Shawn has adopted an elevated approach to comfort food as his signature style. Shawn has worked with several brew pubs, establishing a love for pairing food with beer, as well as working with beer within his dishes. Shawn has spent time at a nose to tail steak house in Calgary, as well as ran a large banquet facility and Italian restaurant during his five years there. Now in Winnipeg, Shawn is looking to bring his Canadian comfort restaurant cuisine to the Delta hotel and make hotel restaurants in the city relevant again.

Chef Kristel Pastorin is a Red River College culinary graduate and restaurant chef. She started her career at St. Charles Country Club as a student and trained under the esteemed and highly regarded Master Chef Takashi Murakami where she learned how to be highly disciplined, creative and resourceful.

Her next chapter began by opening a new restaurant called Sydney’s Fine Dining at The Forks, where she was hired as the executive pastry chef. After eight years of pastry and fine dining, she then moved on to The Grove Pub & Restaurant and took over as the executive chef.

Kristel also contributes to several charity events throughout the year that keep her busy. Although her time and attention are stretched thin, Kristel has never lost her enthusiasm and passion for the culinary industry.

Having begun his culinary journey at the young age of fifteen, Luc has over 25 years of experience in the kitchen. From the Southern regions of France, London England, Tylos, Sweden and Brisbane Australia, Luc has consistently proven his culinary expertise and made a name for himself around the globe. 2008 Best Modern Australian Restaurant in Queensland, the Culinary Excellence Trophy from Les Toques Blanches QLD 2008, a silver medal at the World Culinary Olympics while representing his home province of Manitoba, as well as winning the Manitoba Gold Medal Plates in 2014.

In 2018 Luc took the reins as partner and executive chef for WOW Catering. Luc also has a television show on the French CBC called “La Main a La Pate”. You can watch episodes from season 1, 2 and 3 at ici.radio-canada.ca.

Chef Edward Lam is the co-owner of Yujiro Japanese Restaurant, GaiJin Izakaya and Saburo Kitchen. His three successful restaurants each have their own uniqueness bringing the finest dining experience to Winnipeg. That being said, Yujiro located in the River Heights area, has been voted top sushi restaurant every year in Winnipeg by Top Choice Awards for the past 8 years. GaiJin Izakaya is a popular local ramen/sushi shop located in Transcona. Whereas Saburo Kitchen, in the Hargrave Street Market, is an Asian Fusion sensation in the downtown area.

As a self-taught chef, he never had professional training, but he was always determined and focused. Never taking a break, you can always see Chef Edward researching and looking for inspiration to develop new creations to bring to his customers. He's always looking for new ways to improve and upgrade his own skills and techniques. You can say his passion for food only drives him to bring himself to the next level and bring exceptional surprises. With his dedicated hard work, Chef Edward proudly won the gold medal at the 2022 Canada’s Great Kitchen Party in Winnipeg. He will be represented the region to compete at the Canadian Culinary Championship in Ottawa in February 2023.

Darnell Banman started working in kitchens as a dishwasher in a small town. It did not take long before he developed a passion for food, acting upon it by attending the apprenticeship program in Culinary Arts at Red River College. His professional career took a drastic rise when he devoted 6 years under renowned Chef Takashi Murakami. He was able to place 1st for Canada in the international Jeune Chef Competition hosted by the Chaine des Rotisseurs.

In recent years, Banman has spent time becoming more rounded chef in the industry by obtaining a Pastry Degree in Paris, having obtained professional development courses in wine, and leadership training while being a Sous Chef at Thermëa by Nordik Spa-Nature. Banman is constantly on the lookout for new advances to bring to the table, either with local flare or crafting artistry with ingredients. His love for French cuisine, learning new Nordic traditions, and helping young culinarians refine their techniques keep him occupied at all hours. Staying humble and being a positive influence on the next generation of young chefs is what keeps chef Banman motivated and precise in the kitchen.