Anton Volek Head Chef / Patron of at the five
As a second career I fell in love with cooking instantly. I pursued schooling in order to get a solid classical foundation and I found the Humber College Culinary Arts program very rewarding. It was an amazing experience which opened a lot of doors for me.
I spent brief stints at Windsor Arms, Bouchon and Boxwood Café in London, UK and finally settled at Scaramouche Restaurant in Toronto. I spent 2 years working through the kitchen brigade, understanding Keith Froggett’s strive for simple, seasonal, well sourced food. Moving on, I ended up in Burlington at Spencer’s at the Waterfront under another English Chef Chris Haworth, formerly of Quo’Vadis. I worked my way up to Junior Sous Chef, and finally left after a few years for Barrie.
Barrie’s at the five has been an amazing opportunity. I enjoy the people here and the ability to be on a farm in mere minutes. I try and get as much as possible locally to showcase the hard work farmers put into their product. Seasonality being key, the menu changes often but always includes an excellent variety of dishes.
I am very grateful for all the discipline, work ethic, and second chances that have come my way through my short culinary career. Though a far cry from Biochemistry I studied before this, I cannot imagine anything else I’d rather be doing … well, on most days!
As a second career I fell in love with cooking instantly. I pursued schooling in order to get a solid classical foundation and I found the Humber College Culinary Arts program very rewarding. It was an amazing experience which opened a lot of doors for me.
I spent brief stints at Windsor Arms, Bouchon and Boxwood Café in London, UK and finally settled at Scaramouche Restaurant in Toronto. I spent 2 years working through the kitchen brigade, understanding Keith Froggett’s strive for simple, seasonal, well sourced food. Moving on, I ended up in Burlington at Spencer’s at the Waterfront under another English Chef Chris Haworth, formerly of Quo’Vadis. I worked my way up to Junior Sous Chef, and finally left after a few years for Barrie.
Barrie’s at the five has been an amazing opportunity. I enjoy the people here and the ability to be on a farm in mere minutes. I try and get as much as possible locally to showcase the hard work farmers put into their product. Seasonality being key, the menu changes often but always includes an excellent variety of dishes.
I am very grateful for all the discipline, work ethic, and second chances that have come my way through my short culinary career. Though a far cry from Biochemistry I studied before this, I cannot imagine anything else I’d rather be doing … well, on most days!