Student chefs whip up thousands of fancy meals for Montreal's Native Friendship Centre

Olivier Dionne, who is training to be a chef, has been getting a taste of what working in a busy, crowded restaurant is like while using his newfound skills to feed thousands of people.

"I'm thankful I'm here doing this, and I feel good knowing that it's going to a good cause," he said.

Dionne and other students in the professional program at the Pearson School of Culinary Arts were working on producing more than 3,000 meals for the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal (NFCM).  

The meals were to be frozen for the centre's later use at community gatherings and special events, and as part of its food sustainability program for Indigenous people in Montreal.

Sebastien Papatens, who works at the Native Friendship Centre, was helping prepare the meals on Wednesday. 

"I'm happy to work in a good kitchen — a big kitchen — because our kitchen is a small kitchen," he said. "We have a whole team helping us."

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Student chefs cook thousands of meals for Montreal's Native Friendship Centre

2 years ago

Duration 1:01

Aspiring chefs from the Pearson School of Culinary Arts cooked 3,000 meals as part of a collaboration that helps culinary students meet their course requirements while helping out at the centre.

Among the meals prepared was a chicken chasseur, with shallots, mushrooms and wine.

Student chef Thomas Claybourn said he was excited to prepare a "good quality dish, and they'll just enjoy it."

In addition to preparing classic European meals that might be served in fancy restaurants, the students also attended a workshop with Indigenous chefs.

"We see a lot of Indigenous giving back to their communities, and I think our students can learn a lot about that," said Donna Colmenero, an instructor at the culinary school.

Colmenero said this project will prepare her students for their next step  — an internship in a restaurant.

"Then almost 100 per cent get jobs right away because we need chefs in the industry," she said.

The collaboration with the Native Friendship Centre is also helping students meet the course requirements set by the Ministry of Education, which includes high-volume food production.

Colmenero said usually the students prepare some 3,000 meals that are then made available at the school's boutique, which she said is "super popular." But when the friendship centre called about a possible collaboration, she jumped on the opportunity.

At first, it wasn't clear how they could marry educational objectives with helping the community, but the centre was able to buy all the needed ingredients, and Colmenero said, the timing worked out well with the school programming.

There was talk of trying to prepare the food at the NFCM, located at the corner of St-Laurent Boulevard and Ontario Street, but the kitchen there is too small for such a large-scale project.

So operations were moved to the school, where there is plenty of space for 25 students and NFCM staff to work in unison.

With students in both the day and evening classes participating, they set out to prepare lentil chowder, chicken noodle soup, chili con carne, as well as other dishes and desserts from morning until 10 p.m., ensuring all the ingredients got used.

"I am really looking forward to having more opportunities to work with the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal," said Colmenero.