CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Culinary students join national campaign to combat food insecurity

Conestoga's Bloom restaurant and its student chefs are joining an initiative to combat food insecurity.

The college is participating for the first time in La Tablée des Chefs, which mobilizes teachers and culinary students to prepare meals for distribution to food banks across Canada.

Conestoga students will prepare and package 1,000 meals in the Bloom kitchen at the Waterloo campus to help support the Cambridge Food Bank.

Since the organization's creation in 2002, more than 17.6 million cooked portions have been delivered to community organizations. It also raises awareness among the next generation of chefs about the fight against food insecurity and inspire them to become agents of change in the community.  

This year across Canada, more than 1,000 students will be rolling up their sleeves with a goal of producing 125,000 portions of vegetarian chili with tofu. This dish was chosen for inclusivity, making the meal as accessible to as many people as possible.

Along with students and teachers, La Tablée des Chefs counts on the support of dedicated partners including food producers eager to make a difference by supporting food banks. Tofu for the chili is coming from Soykei farm in Québec.

Dan McCowan, executive chef at Bloom, said it was an easy decision when the college was approached about this initiative expanding into Ontario from Québec.

"I think it's a great opportunity for our students to be involved in supporting those with food insecurity in the region. We hope a successful first year in the project will plant roots for this to be an annual initiative that we can continue to expand on and support our community for years to come."

Food bank use is at its highest ever in Canada, and Food Banks Canada warns there are signs the system is reaching its absolute limit. Its HungerCount 2024 reported there were two million visitors to Canadian food banks in March 2024 - up 90 per cent from 2019. Children accounted for one out of three people relying on the food bank, while 18 per cent of clients are employed - the highest proportion ever recorded.

"Food security is the essence of a society, and having the opportunity to work with La Tablée des Chefs allows the Conestoga culinary and hospitality students and the community to contribute to a valuable cause," said Keith Müller, executive dean of both the School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts and the Institute of Food Processing Technology.

Conestoga was named among Canada's best culinary schools in 2025 by University Magazine, ranking third out of 30 colleges and universities. The School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts is a leader in culinary and hospitality programming that prepares students for successful careers in Canada's dynamic tourism industry.