All About Me

How did I get into the business?
This is one of those questions that has a shot and a long answer. Short first - I've always been in the hospitality business. At 14 I got a job at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Calgary and have worked as one position or another in the business ever since.

The long answer is just that longer. I went to SAIT almost right out of high school taking the professional cooking program then apprenticed at a private golf club where I met Himself, wrote my red seal exam and whala I'm a journeyman cook. A little later after working my way up to the management potion: Chef ( yes that’s right the title of Chef means you run the kitchen and has little to do with actual cooking) I landed a job as an Instructor at Sait and found with my newly reduced hours ( instructors work 6-8 hrs a day where cooks work 8-12) I had time to head back to school taking hotel and restaurant management diploma and then a Business Administration degree ( which I found to be truly dry so what did I minor in : history perhaps a little ironic). With all this newly acquired education Himself and I headed out on our own by buying a small hotel south of Calgary. It consisted of 25 guest rooms, 70 seat dining room and 110 seat bar in a 1914 building. After 5 year, severe burn out and lots of lessons learned we sold and moved to the Pass. Himself then went about doing anything but cooking ( he's actually a journeyman cook as well although he was fist known here as a contractor) and I took a job at Popiel's where I stayed for a number of years. We renovated our building into a great space to house our B&B and I went into catering.

Why I like the business or what keeps me here is easy. In my opinion is about the best job on the planet. I get to cook almost every day but get the occasional day off. I don't have to go to work if I don't have a function and I don't have to work every night or every week end. I get some holidays off and I get to meet great people. Pretty much perfect

Here's to new beginings

I tried this blogging stuff years ago and never did get very far. I thought maybe it was time to try again. My hopes for this are to create a place to share experiences, ideas, and general information relating to the tourism industry, hospitality and even life in the Crowsnest Pass. Perhaps we can make new connections with people and keep in touch with those we already know.