2026 Board of Directors
Executive Board
Johnny Bridge
President
About
President – Johnny Bridge
Chef Johnny Bridge is a west coast Chef with 2 decades industry experience, currently a private chef on the Sunshine Coast of BC as well as in a Chef role with the University of British Colombia. Johnny believes the most defining resource in our industry is the wellness of those who work it. Practicing and promoting our industry workers mental health through “Unconditional Positive Regard” in all sectors Johnny aims to shift our culture of the future to a kind & more productive one. Johnny is a board member of Mind The Bar, a Growing Chefs instructor and a UBC Farm volunteer as seasons permit.
Stacy Johnston
Vice President, Sustainability Co-ChairCustom Metadata Fields
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About
Vice President, Sustainability Co-Chair – Stacy Johnston
Stacy’s passion for food began as a kid, growing up on her grandparent’s homestead in Saskatchewan. From an early age, Stacy has had an ingrained sense of appreciation for farming practices and strives to create food that tells the story of the ingredients, where they come from, and the season they grow in. Stacy is a graduate of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, where she studied professional cooking and earned her Red Seal certification in 2015. After meeting her partner in life and work in 2013, Stacy and Minette cooked their way across Western Canada, including working with Ocean wise, opening farm to table concepts and working as Co-Chef de Cuisine’s at the hyper-local Naramata Inn. Together, they were named some of the Canada’s ‘Next Rising Star Chefs’ and were resident Chef’s at the Ottawa National Arts gallery. Currently she is the Executive Chef at ‘The Restaurant at Poplar Grove,’ a must-see Okanagan winery destination where she curates a menu of ‘thoughtful’ and locally inspired dishes. When not running a kitchen, Stacy enjoys spending time with her wife, their Shorkie Olive and enjoying all of the beautiful things the Okanagan has to offer.
Poyan Danesh
Treasurer and Competition ChairAbout
Treasurer and Competition Chair – Poyan Danesh
Chef Poyan Danesh has been heavily involved in the BC culinary scene since graduating top of his class at VCC in 2003. Poyan is currently Culinary Director at Ocean Mama Seafood.
Named 2013 British Columbia Chef of the year, he was also one of 4 chefs that represented Canada in the World Culinary Olympics in Germany in 2012, placing 4th in the world. He was also honoured with the position of Captain of the Olympic Culinary Team of BC where he led them to a gold in their category, and 4th place finish at the World Culinary Olympics in Germany October of 2008. Poyan was also a member of Culinary Team Canada from 2004-2007 and 2010-2012, competing twice in Luxembourg, Germany, Basel and in Chicago with a second place finish, winning 14 gold medals in total.
Poyan was featured on the Global series “Canada’s Next Great Chef” as BC’s culinary representative. Poyan has also won the honour of being BC’s 2006 Apprentice of the Year and has won many Grand Gold championships at regional competitions in Vancouver. He has also been awarded the Top in Trades award by the Province newspaper and was named one of Vancouver’s rising stars by the Vancouver Sun and VCC alumni of the year in 2007.
Shawna Gardham
Executive Director/SecretaryCustom Metadata Fields
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About
Executive Director – Shawna Gardham
Board
No results.
Advisory Council
Sid Cross
Founding Member / AdvisorAbout
Founding Member / Advisor – Sid Cross
Sid is a co-founder of the Chefs’ Table Society of British Columbia. He and his wife Joan were invaluable contributors/editor of Vancouver Cooks and Vancouver Cooks II, which provided the seed capital to launch CTS in the early 2000’s.
He is globally recognized for his extensive wine and food knowledge and his tasting memory. He has dined at most of the top restaurants in the world. Sid has written for Western Living Magazine and several other wine and food publications. He is a frequent panelist and entertaining educator on wine and food, and is also an instrumental force in many charitible and fund raising activities.
Sid is the only Canadian to be inducted as a Membre d’Honneur of L’Academie du Vin de Bordeaux and was awarded Gourmet of the Year by The Society of Bacchus America (’for outstanding knowledge of food and wines and for imparting this knowledge to others’). He has been promoted by the French Government from Chevalier to Officer status in the Ordre du Mérite Agricole. Sid, with his legal background, has recorded detailed notes of his comprehensive tasting experiences over the years in his chronological black book diaries providing ‘one of the most extensive historical wine and food information collections of its kind in the world.’
Jamie Maw
AdvisorAbout
Jamie Maw
As one of the originators of Chefs’ Table, Jamie was Co-Editor of Vancouver Cooks I and II, which contributed more than $75,000 to our new start-up during its first six years.
Jamie was the Food + Travel Editor of Vancouver magazine for 17 years and was a frequent contributor to national and international media outlets, including the BBC, the CBC, the Globe and Mail and Bon Appetit magazine. His drive-time radio show on CKNW ran for over a decade. Jamie was also the Editor of the Eating and Drinking Guide to BC, and has won more than 20 awards for his culinary writing, many for investigating the supply and business sides of our industry.
He was a judge for Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Stone Soup Chef.”
Jamie is the retired Chairman of Canada Place, served Canada during EXPO 86, was a Director of Vancouver International Airport (YVR) during its privatization phase, and was the Chairman of the Jack Webster Foundation for Journalism. He has also served on a number of charitable and social enterprise boards.
Past Presidents
Darren Clay 2023, 2022, 2021
Robert Belcham 2020, 2019, 2018
Scott Jaeger 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014
Julian Bond 2013, 2012, 2011
Pino Posteraro 2010, 2009, 2008
Vikram Vij 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004