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 Shania Scammell
The CCR Restaurant & Bar, Consort AB

“I was raised on a farm just south west of Cadogan, Alberta. I attended K-12 in Provost then continued my education at Lethbridge College in the Culinary Careers Program. (Lethbridge Alberta.) I went on to graduate with a Diploma and my Red Seal and Journeyman Certificates. I grew up on a farm where we raised a lot of our own animals (beef, chickens, pigs). Every fall we would harvest game to put food on the table for the months to come. It’s safe to say our freezers were always full. My grandparents would always have a garden in the ground a few kilometers up the road that was always rewarding. I think my love of food stemmed from seeing a pot of borscht on the stove knowing the main ingredients were planted in family soil and harvested by my family’s hands along with constructing homemade perogies, rosettes, pickles & jams in my Gramma’s kitchen with my siblings and cousins at a young age. From there my mind was always going crazy about possible flavor combination.”

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/)