Competition Co-Chair & Administrator – Camille Sauvagnac

Camille’s culinary journey began at a very young age in her grandmother’s kitchen, where her passion for pastry first took shape. At 14, she completed her first internship in a bakery and pastry shop an experience that confirmed her desire to pursue pastry professionally. The following year, Camille joined a pastry and bakery program at the Lycée Hôtelier Georges Baptiste in France, before continuing her studies in hospitality organization and earning a diploma in management. Alongside her education, she worked for various companies, gaining valuable experience from chefs and business leaders who helped shape both her technical skills and her professional approach.

Now based in Canada, Camille has developed her craft working under Chef Chris Whittaker, Chef Michael Roszell, and Chef Warren Chow. She is currently starting a new chapter as Pastry Sous Chef at Elisa.

Camille joined Chefs’ Table Society as a board member in 2024 and is now entering her third year with a growing focus on pastry. While she continues to support a variety of events, her main commitment is the monthly pastry meet-ups. Through these gatherings, she aims to help build a strong, supportive community where pastry chefs can connect, exchange knowledge, and feel inspired. Looking ahead, Camille hopes to further strengthen the pastry network, encourage collaboration, and contribute to the evolution of the local pastry scene.

Education Co-Chair – Alex Tung

Chef Alex Tung has always shared a passionate connection with food and the restaurant industry. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, his culinary journey has taken him through some of the world’s most respected kitchens. After honing his craft internationally, he settled in Vancouver in 2002, where he continues to make a lasting impact on the city’s dining scene.
Formally trained at the New England Culinary Institute and the University of Toronto, Alex’s true culinary education came from working alongside legendary chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Daniel Boulud, and Christian Delouvrier. In Vancouver, he’s earned a reputation as one of the city’s most dynamic and respected chefs, known for his dedication to excellence, leadership, and mentorship.
Today, Chef Alex leads Yowza! Culinary + Concepts, offering consulting services to the hospitality and restaurant industry. Over the years, he has served as Culinary Director for the Kitchen Table Restaurant Group, Corporate Chef for La Grotta Del Formaggio, Executive Chef and Managing Partner of multiple acclaimed restaurants, and brand ambassador for companies such as Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar, Rustichella d’Abruzzo, Avalon Dairy, and Kin’s Farm Market. He is also a committed community leader, serving on the boards of the Chefs’ Table Society of BC and the Richmond Food Security Society.
Outside of the kitchen, Alex values balance. He enjoys life in Vancouver with his wife Lynn and their two children, Jasmine and Lex. Whenever possible, he embraces the outdoors—skiing, mountain biking, playing pickleball, fishing, traveling, and of course, enjoying great food.

Marketing C0-Chair – Dez Lo

Chef Dez Lo brings over two decades of global culinary expertise to every dish with her sustainable and no-waste cooking style. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Taiwan, she transitioned from finance in New York City to prestigious kitchens like La Grenouille, Oceana and Locanda Verde. Chef Dez competed on season 10 of “Top Chef Canada” and finished as runner-up. Now based in Vancouver, she is an entrepreneur operating her own private catering and consulting business while serving as the Corporate Chef at BSH Educational Experience Center, where she showcases her passion for teaching and dynamic culinary storytelling.

Partnerships Co-Chair – Hiran Perera

Membership Chair – Tret Jordan

Chef Tret Jordan crafts traceable, ingredient-driven menus that are rooted in the classics while utilizing regionally focused fare. Seasonally inspired and sustainably sourced, his cooking is approachable, focused and precise. With over 20 years of hospitality experience, Chef Tret has worked in many different facets of the industry globally from quick-service outlets, to hotel groups, to Michelin starred restaurants. Currently based in Vancouver and the UK, Tret is a member of the Future Food Institute and is working towards a Master’s degree in Food Sustainability at the University of Reading. Chef Jordan holds a Red Seal Chef certification and WSET wine certification.

Growing up on the West coast of Canada on his family farm in the Fraser Valley, Tret developed a strong connection to how food is grown, harvested, processed and preserved at an early age. Chef Tret honed his culinary skills in many Vancouver restaurants: the William Tell, Raincity Grill, Earls Kitchen, Bacchus in the Wedgewood Hotel, Elixir Bistro at the Opus Hotel, and Voya Restaurant at Loden Hotel. Chef Tret went on to work at a diverse range of world-class Michelin-starred restaurants in London, England including Claridge’s Hotel, Putney Bridge, 1 Lombard Street Brasserie and Pied-a-Terre. Chef Tret also cooked at the ultrachic Whist Restaurant in Santa Monica’s Viceroy Hotel. In 2008, Chef Tret joined the Wentworth Hospitality Group as part of the executive team. As Executive Chef, Tret played an integral role in the execution and inspiration behind the kitchens and menus at Loden Hotel, Tableau Bar Bistro, Homer St Cafe and Bar, and Musette Caffe. He has represented the Future Food Institute at the UN General Assembly in New York and participated as a climate shaper in the Smart Oceans Program in West Fjords, Iceland. Currently, Chef Tret Jordan is the Chef Instructor and Culinary Manager of the culinary program with Coast Mental Health; A none profit social enterprise offering culinary skills to young adults with barriers to employment, providing them with real world training in the industry.

Scholarship/Mentorship Co-Chair – Cory Pelan

Chef Cory Pelan has over 25 years in the food industry cooking in many celebrated kitchens in Victoria and the lower mainland. It is his passion for traditional curing methods and flavor combinations that is the corner stone of his current business, The Whole Beast Salumeria, and has fueled its success to date. Cory recently became co-owner of The Village Butcher thereby completing the traditional connection between fresh and cured meats between his two businesses and allowing for a true nose to tail concept.

Cory is an outspoken champion of the sustainable food movement with many connections to food security initiatives on Vancouver Island and the lower mainland including Past president, treasurer and  board member of The Island Chefs Collaborative https://islandchefscollaborative.ca/ , past board member for Slow Food Vancouver Island https://slowfood.ca/about-slow-food-in-canada/ , and former stewardship team member representing Vancouver Island for Farm Folk City Folk http://www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca/

Scholarship & Mentorship Co-Chair – Antonio Martin

Born and raised in the Philippines, Antonio Martin and his love of food was shaped early on by family, heritage, flavours, and traditions that continue to inspire his work today. Chef Antonio began his culinary training at Vancouver’s Dubrulle Culinary Institute before heading to New York City, where he honed his skills in some of the city’s most celebrated kitchens; including Butter, and three Michelin-starred Le Bernardin. Under the mentorship of culinary greats like Eric Ripert, Alex Guarnachelli, and Darren Watson; Antonio was inspired to refine his own style in the kitchen. Now Executive Chef at Haven Kitchen & Bar, Antonio strives to uphold the highest standards of quality and sustainability while never compromising on flavour. He draws inspiration from his Southeast Asian heritage, and the rich bounty of British Columbia to create dishes that are both nostalgic and new.

Sustainability Co-Chair – Chris Whittaker

Advisor – Bruno Marti

At Cara Operations, he was appointed to the position of Catering Manager for Canadian Pacific Air Lines, a position that he held for 12 years before opening La Belle Auberge as Chef and Owner, which he operated for over 30 years.

An honoured member of the Chaîne de Rotisseurs, Bruno’s first international competition experience came as Team Captain of the Western Canadian Team in Frankfurt in 1976. Bruno was a Team Member for Team Canada at the competition in Osaka in 1983 and Team Member of the World Champion Team Canada at the Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt in 1984 – a win over 32 other teams from around the world.

He then moved on to be a Team Manager at the provincial level before leading Team Canada at the 1996 Olympics where they won three gold and one bronze medals. Bruno remains an active coach of the Canadian Bocuse d’Or Team, Team British Columbia and the Canadian National Culinary Team, and he has judged at all levels of competition, including as the Canadian Judge for the Bocuse d’Or.

Bruno trained many excellent chefs in the kitchen of La Belle Auberge.

Bruno is past President and Chairman of the Canadian Culinary Federation, and Founder and Chairman of the BC Culinary Arts Foundation. Bruno has been the recipient of countless awards including the Order of British Columbia, the Queen’s Jubilee Award, and has been honoured by his peers in the USA by being inducted into the American Academy of Chefs’ Hall of Fame.

Advisor – John Bishop

Chef John Bishop is a legendary British-born restaurateur and chef who significantly shaped Vancouver’s culinary scene with his pioneering commitment to local, seasonal, and organic ingredients at his restaurant, Bishop’s. After opening Bishop’s in 1985, he built a cultural institution known for true hospitality, mentored countless top chefs, and helped forge our Pacific Northwest cuisine. Though Bishop’s restaurant closed in 2021 after 37 years, his legacy continues through his cookbooks, mentorship, and commitment to sustainable food practices.

Advisor – Michel Jacob

Le Crocodile has long been considered one the city’s best French fine dining destinations, renowned for showcasing the best of French cuisine, with a focus on Alsace classics. The restaurant opened in 1983 and was originally inspired by Michelin-starred Au Crocodile in Jacob’s hometown of Strasbourg, France.
Le Crocodile won many awards, including the ‘Best French’ category innumerable times in the annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. Throughout his career, Jacob also received numerous personal accolades, including Vancouver Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame and, most recently, being named an Officer in the Ordre du Mérite Agricole (Order of Agricultural Merit) by the French government for highlighting the finest Alsatian food using ingredients from France.
Michel has trained a number of chefs, including CTS members Rob Feenie and David Hawksworth.