Bruno Feldeisen and Kyla Kennaley: Judges
Meet the Judges of The Great Canadian Baking Show
Bruno Feldeisen
Bruno Feldeisen was born in the small French town of Clermont-Ferrand. He began his career as an apprentice at one of France's most renowned chocolate shops in Moulins: Les Palets d'Or. He graduated from his apprenticeship with a near-perfect score.
After working as a chocolatier at Hotel de Paris in Monaco under the leadership of Chef Alain Ducasse, Bruno moved to the U.S. in 1988, working in a number of prestigious restaurants and hotels in California such as Patina and the Highlands Inn. In 1994, he became the executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York. Bruno's culinary journey continued when he opened Soléa, an American-French restaurant in San Francisco. He later became a pastry chef instructor at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver, B.C. and the executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. Recently, Bruno was leading the kitchen of the Semiahmoo Resort in northern Washington state, making the place a foodie destination to the delight of the Seattle crowd.
Feldeisen was named one of the Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America by Chocolatier Magazine two years in a row and has been nominated twice for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef. His delicious works have appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Gourmet Magazine, Bon Appetit Magazine and New York Magazine.
Bruno is a passionate and energetic chef, known for crafting unique cooking experiences. A supporter of the local food movement, he's committed to food sustainability and supports ethical farming and fishing. Bruno is also a committed supporter of many not-for-profit organizations like Anxiety Canada, Growing Chefs, B.C. Cancer Society, and B.C. Kidney Foundation, among others.
A cookbook author, Bruno released "Baking with Bruno" in 2020 and is working on his second book, The Bacon, Butter, Bourbon & Chocolate Cookbook, to be published in late 2022.
Kyla Kennaley
Pastry chef Kyla Kennaley received her first baking award at the age of six in her hometown of Omemee, Ontario. She entered a Robin Hood Pie Baking Contest and took home a red ribbon along with her most treasured possession: a Robin Hood Flour Baking Cookbook.
Kyla completed her culinary management diploma from Algonquin College to round out her bachelor's degree from the University of Ottawa. After graduating on the Dean's List, she set her focus on developing her pastry skills, travelling Europe and honing her craft.
In 2004, Kyla opened a pastry shop and café, Madeleines Cherry Pie and Ice Cream, in Toronto. For the next 15 years, she shared her passion for tradition with local and national customers by using only local and sustainable ingredients, and paying homage to the skills and cherished memories she gained growing up with home baking and real food. During this time, she opened a bespoke wholesale production kitchen catering to fine food retailers, grocers, cafes, and restaurants. Designing cakes for the inauguration of the Bell Lightbox (home of the Toronto International Film Festival), the relocation of The Montreal Children's Hospital (part of the McGill University Health Centre), and creating a life size Weber barbecue are just a few examples of the architectural side of cake design in her repertoire.
Over the years she has contributed mouth-watering pies, pastries, baking tips and recipes to Canadian House and Home Magazine, Chatelaine, Arabella, Dining Out, the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun, Now Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and The National Post. Most memorable was her recurring spot as in-house pastry expert on CBC's Steven and Chris, where she shared seasonal recipes, along with tips and tricks for home baking.
Kyla moved to London, U.K. in 2019 to take on the role of talent development manager for the food and beverage team at the historic Savoy Hotel. She now trains apprentices for the Royal household and five-star hotels in London.
Kyla is a resident guest teacher at George Brown College Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts in Toronto, Ontario.