About
Liaison College, Barrie Campus
Liaison College has been training Chefs and cooks for over 10 years!
We are the largest trainer of Chefs and Cooks in the province of Ontario.
Chef Bios Click Here!
We are focused on our students by limiting
our class sizes to a maximum of 15 students
per Qualified Chef Instructor and
guaranteeing at least 70% of your learning
will be hands on.
We are registered with the Ministry of
Colleges and Universities.
We are proud to have our Graduates employed
in the finest establishments world wide.
Our new "Walk About" program guarantees our Graduates a placement in the wine region of Australia for up to a year.
Our new Barrie Campus, located in historic
94 Dunlop Street, is one of the oldest
buildings in Barrie. We have retrofitted
this working restaurant into a training
facility to make our hands on learning style
exciting, rewarding and realistic.
Our programs have been developed to give you
the skills necessary to succeed in the fast
paced and exciting Culinary industry.
The Liaison College of Culinary Arts offers
four separate and distinct diploma programs
and lets you choose the best one to suit
your needs.
Available Diploma Programs:
- a. Cook Basic Course
- b. Cook Advanced Course
- c. Personal Chef Diploma
- d. Hospitality Administration
Exclusive to Liaison College, Career Action Plan Services (CAPS) has been developed to provide the maximum in assistance to students and
graduates in launching their career in the culinary arts field.
Our professional graduate services team guides you in making the right choices and decisions for your career.
Chef Bios:
Gary Gingras –
Chef/Director Liaison College – Barrie
Campus
Gary was born
and raised in Toronto, Ontario. He has
always had a keen interest and Passion for
cooking and food. His career began in the
hospitality industry at age 18, working in
various restaurants throughout the city.
Gary has attained his Interprovincial Red
Seal designation as well as various catering
and hospitality awards.
Gary and his
wife Pippa opened their first business in
1987, Piccadeli, a small retail delicatessen
and catering company specializing in
homemade products such as terrines, pates
and a full line of take home Entrees.
Quickly the
catering side of the business began to
flourish until it was the main focus of
their business.
Piccadeli
grew to be one of the premiere caterers in
the Durham Region. Through Piccadeli, doors
opened and eventually the business was sold
and a partnership with a major Toronto
Caterer was formed, at this point Catering
became their sole focus.
In 1998, an
opportunity arose in Markham, Ontario. Gary
& Pippa purchased Occasions Catering and
Events. Occasions grew to be one of the
largest and most successful operations in
the GTA, winning the prestigious “Peoples
Choice Award” for many successive years.
In 2007 Gary
& Pippa opened the ninth Campus of Liaison
College in Barrie Ontario. It was time to
pass on some of the knowledge and expertise
to the next generation of Chefs.
Liaison
College is the Largest Trainer of Chefs &
Cooks in Ontario. We are proud of our 98%
Graduation rate of which we attribute to
cutting edge instructors, a rigid acceptance
procedure and an overall passion for the
industry in general.
Gary and
Pippa have been married for 19 years and
they have 2 sons, Joshua age 15 and Zachary
13. They both also have a passion for food
and cooking.
Chef Michael
Cortese
Born and
raised in a small community, Cobourg
Ontario, Michael’s passion for food and
cooking began at a young age. Michael began
cooking at the age of 14 in a small
restaurant, at which point his desire to
understand food became his focal point.
Michael apprenticed under Executive Chef
Frank Berger, one of seven Chefs in Canada
to hold the European Master Chefs Degree,
with a primary emphasis on French Haute
Cuisine. Michael quickly developed a
reputation within the Foodservice sector in
Barrie, Ontario and his focal point shifted.
Michael then
began to study food and acquire the
educational background as demand for his
consulting services became extensive.
Michael’s educational focus allowed him the
following designations: Inter-Provincial
Cook Designation, Diploma in Hotel and
Restaurant Management, Associates Degree in
Hospitality, and he is currently completing
his MBA at the University of Guelph (Major
in Hospitality). Michael’s academic
achievements and culinary expertise allowed
him the opportunity to consult for numerous
foodservice operations, including the
opportunity to open two major restaurant
operations within the Barrie Community.
Alongside
Michael’s achievements he is the President
and founder of OACAS (Ontario Annual
Culinary Arts Salon), he is currently the
monthly writer for Relax Magazine and Snap
Magazine, he is the Executive Chef for
Liaison College and he is currently
finalizing a cookbook on Ontario Cuisine.
Michael is a diverse Chef who places a
strong emphasis on local and provincial
ingredients and believes the key to culinary
success is a combination of academics and
hands on experience.
Jeffrey
Kenny
(Chef Jeffrey)
Born in
Bradford the heart of Canada’s produce
production, the small multi-cultural town
became the place in which Jeffrey’s
epicurean passion was developed.
Solid family
values and weekly traditional meals help
define Jeffrey’s culinary personality. He
was exposed to multiple ethnic and
traditional cuisines, which became the
forefront for his main flavor influence he
has adopted, Italian, Portuguese, European,
French, Thai and Mexican themes.
Jeffrey
continued perusing training of food through
a culinary program at Georgian College
Barrie, ON. Gaining his skills through
various quality food establishments such as
The Crazy Fox Bistro/Restaurant where he was
given creative flexibility reinforced by
attention to detail
Jeffrey
completed the interprovicial standard
necessary to hold the designation of Red
Seal Certified Chef, and he continues today
to add many other certifications and
trainings to his repertoire.
Jeffrey
became self employed as a Personal Chef,
exposing many to his unquestionable passion
and enthusiasm. He has been creating and
designing flavorful meals and menus for his
loyal and growing clientele for six
successful years.
Clients
encouraged Jeffrey to pursue a career of
teaching, which brings us to the present,
were he is currently teaching diploma and
recreational programs at Liaison College in
Barrie, ON.
He is always
looking to ingredients, evolving influences,
and family traditions to help fuel his
growing passion for food.
Master Chef Frank Berger
Chef Frank not only brings with him over 40
years of culinary experience, he also holds
2 Master Chef Degrees from Europe.
Having grown up in Hungary Chef Frank
started his culinary career at a young age.
Having gone through the traditional
apprenticeship in Europe Chef Frank was
quickly recognized by some of the leading
hotels in the world. This led him on his
culinary journey all over the globe. Having
worked throughout Europe in countries like
Italy, Germany, and Hungary, Chef Frank then
made his way across the Atlantic to New
York, then eventually Toronto opening the
Hyatt, now the Four Seasons, and the
Westburry Hotel where he spent many years.
Chef Frank has not only worked in some of
the finest hotels in the world but also
owned and operated his own restaurant just
north of Toronto, and also made stops at
Golf & Country Clubs and independent
operations.
Chef Frank is not only respected globally as
an artist and craftsperson, he has also won
many national, and international Culinary
awards including Gold at the International
Olympics.
Chef Frank has now shifted his focus on
training and educating the next generation
of Culinarians and alas he teaches the
Advanced studies at Liaison College in
Barrie, passing down in the way of the past,
the skills, techniques, and art of the trade
that will place Liaison Grads a step above
the rest.
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