Gold Winner Renée Lavallée, The Canteen
Silver Winner Craig Flinn, Chives Canadian Bistro
Bronze Winner Stephanie Ogilvie, Brooklyn Warehouse
“The reality is, I’m the captain of a sports team. An amazing team,” says Renée Lavallée, quick to shout out her two assistant captains, Kyle and Josh, and number one cheerleader, her business partner and husband, Doug Townsend. Lavallée, whose restaurant The Canteen cleaned up this year’s Best of Halifax awards with six wins, has dethroned longtime Best Chef champ Craig Flinn, but is adamant about sharing her moment in the sun with her squad. “I work the line every day because that’s the shift I really enjoy. But at the end of the day, it’s not about me. It’s still me cooking but it’s about the entire team. I know if I’m off the field, I don’t have to worry about it.”
