Apprentice of the Year 2025 Competition, showcasing twelve local BC Culinary talents, was hosted by Chefs’ Table Society of BC on Friday, November 14 at Vancouver Community College. The first-place winner received $2000 from Chefs’ Table Society.
Apprentice of the Year 2025 Winners:
1st Place: Alexander “Zack” Bernado, Fairmont Pacific Rim
2nd Place: Johnny Jang, Lift Bar + Grill
3rd Place: Daniel Kim, June on Cambie
All Competitors
Alexander “Zack” Bernado, Fairmont Pacific Rim
Amritpal Singh, Cascade Casino
Daniel Kim, June on Cambie
Elysse Jamir Macaraig, Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver
Hoai Phuong Vu ( Justin), Acquafarina & Lunchlady
James Buchanan Farrell, Kingfisher Spa and Resort
Johnny Jang, Lift Bar + Grill
Leviticus Austria, The Apron Westing Wall Centre Richmond
Nitesh bhatt, Kitchen Table Group
Sammuel Zalameda, Wildlight Restaurant
Saroonan Chandrasekaran, Fourwinds Brewing
Tengis Battur, Five Sails
The competitors for 2025 were required to create a three-course meal that were critiqued by kitchen judges and tasting judges. To be eligible to compete, each person must have received their Red Seal Chef Certificate in 2024 or be registered as a third-year culinary apprentice in 2025.
Chef Poyan Danesh, Competition Chair of Chefs’ Table Society and a former winner of the competition (2008) organized the competition and brought together a dedicated and talented line up of judges.
Kitchen Judges: Chef Andrew George, Chef Edison Antejos, Chef Camille Sauvagnac were scoring competitors on their prepped mise en place, techniques and execution, proper utilization of the provided ingredients along with their professionalism, sanitation in the kitchen and timing.
Tasting Judges: Chef Lesley Stav, Chef Jasper Cruikshank, Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson, Chef Bruno Marti. Judges were rating the competitors on creativity, cleanliness and presentation of their dish, the portion size, menu and ingredient compatibility, knife skills, texture, flavour and taste.
The competition was sponsored by:
Title Sponsors
Chefs’ Table Society of BC, Skills Trade BC, BC Chefs Association, Vancouver Community College
Silver Sponsors
Russell Hendrix
Chef & Co
Cascadia Tableware
FDick
Product Sponsors
John Volken Academy Farms-Bison and Buffalo Milk, One Degree Organics-Alberta Lentils, Brome Lake-Duck
