Chef Brenda Brinson
Brenda's Cozy Cafe, Stettler

The first time Brenda ever cooked a full meal for her family she was 13.  It was farm raised beef, garden vegetables, and potatoes from the cellar.  Although her technique is a bit more advanced than it was in her early years, Brenda's passion for locally produced food remains.  Brenda is simply a farm girl from Saskatchewan who loves to cook and you can taste that passion in her restaurant Brenda's Cozy Cafe on main street Stettler.
Brenda has a diploma in Food Service Administration from SIAST Kelsey Campus and her Red Seal from Lakeland College.

Chef Rieley Kay
Cilantro and Chive, Lacombe AB

After completing the Professional Cooking program at SAIT in 2001, Chef Rieley Kay set out to work in a variety of kitchens and restaurants trying to find his true passion.  After gaining a lot of experience and being mentored in different culinary environments, he found an amazing opportunity as Sous Chef at Wolf Creek Golf Resort starting in 2007.
It was at that time that his experience, creativity and passion came to fruition as he was able to help grow and evolve through his years there into starting his own company in 2009 called Cilantro Catering.  After completing another successful degree at Red Deer College in 2010, Chef Rieley was able to move on from my position at Wolf Creek in 2011 and then work on his own business full time.
From the start, Chef Rieley worked hard at developing a menu that was a little different, but also fresh, fun, and focused on sourcing out local first.  In meeting his wife Kim, and developing their connection with the local community allowed their business to grow, utilizing their catering menu to then open their own restaurant in Ponoka in 2012 – which became Cilantro and Chive.
Chef Rieley and Kim were completely humbled by the response from the community.  He works and runs the kitchen while she runs the restaurant and served our guests.  They are also fortunate to find people who match their passion for food and hospitality, and their staff began to grow.  The success of the restaurant in Ponoka allowed them to relocate to Lacombe when the lease ran out at the restaurant space.  Finding a location in historic downtown Lacombe was the perfect fit.
On December 14th, 2015, the doors opened at Cilantro and Chive in Lacombe and they’ve never looked back.  The community support has been incredible, and they meet amazing new guests each and every day from all around Central Alberta.  Their staff has grown exponentially, and their dream is really taking off with no limits in sight.

Chef Steven Brochu
MilkCrate Catering, Edmonton AB

Born and raised in Edmonton, Steve knew from a young age that family and food are tightly connected, and was fascinated by the important relationship they have to each other. It’s something that drew him to pursue his career in hospitality, and something that continues to drive him today.
After graduating from the Culinary program at NAIT, he moved to Vancouver and quickly became familiar with its fast paced food scene. He experimented in a number of different environments including some of the top hotels (Fairmont Waterfront, Shangri La Hotel), and steak houses (Joe Fortes) before working at a remote fishing lodge off the northern coast of BC (Langara Island).
He returned to Edmonton and became the head chef of Chartier in Beaumont, AB  in December 2016, Steve has received multiple accolades for his whimsical approach to French Canadian cuisine. Chartier was named the “Best New Restaurant of 2016” and “Best French Restaurant of 2016” by Avenue Magazine, one of the “Top New Restaurants in Alberta” from the Globe and Mail. Then in 2017 and 2018 one of “Canada’s Best New Restaurants” in EnRoute Magazine, and highlighted as a “Maverick Chef” In Quench Magazine for his support of local food philosophy.
In 2019 Steve moved on to open his new concept; MilkCrate. As the owner and chef he manages catering, specials dinners, cooking classes and consulting. He loves working directly with guests to create something unique and spectacular for them. Digging into the history of food and culture to bring out amazing stories to be able to express with food.
His food philosophy is simple: make it tasty and “can’t/won’t” is not an option. He doesn’t shy away from breaking down a whole animal, and feels it’s our inherent duty to use as much of it as we can….snout to tail. He believes that it’s one thing to have amazing ingredients but its another to be able to transform them into something wonderful that doesn’t just make people full – it brings them together.
-Get Cooking Edmonton (https://getcookingedmonton.com/presenters/steven-brochu/)