Tre Sanderson is the winner of Top Chef Canada season 10 and becomes the first Black winner of the competition! With over a decade of culinary experience and counting working in some of Toronto’s hottest restaurants, being a first-generation Canadian chef, Tre Sanderson draws inspiration from his Jamaican heritage, while also implementing different cooking styles, cultures, and techniques into each of his dishes. Since winning Top Chef Canada, Tre has been in-demand and focused on creating restaurant pop-ups, working towards his goal of opening his own restaurant and building a culinary Caribbean empire in Canada. Below you will find a special recipe from Tre.
Q&A with Tre Sanderson
Tell us about yourself and your journey becoming a chef. How did you get started and what inspired you?
Growing up I got very inspired by classic home Jamaican cooking. The aromas and flavours of the food made me more & more interested in learning the craft. Once I had the opportunity to take culinary classes in high school, my passion really took off. Post Secondary, I went on to graduate Culinary School & fast-forward over 10 long and tough years – I’ve worked in some of the best restaurants in Toronto & competed on the most esteemed culinary competitions in the country.
2. Tell us your biggest achievements and what else do you want to accomplish?
The biggest achievement of my career was not only winning Top Chef Canada – but being the first Black Chef to win the competition! It means so much to be able to represent Black food that has so much soul & story behind it. My goal & passion is to push Caribbean Cuisine forward & make it shine by opening the best upscale Caribbean restaurant in the world. Ultimately, I dream to build a Caribbean culinary empire.
3. Can you share some of the most memorable parts of competing at Top Chef Canada? How did you deal with the pressure of the competition?
One of the most memorable parts of Top Chef Canada for me was actually being selected to be on the show! It was the biggest thing to happen in my career & I feel like I’ve been waiting for a moment like this to come. Once I found out I was going to compete – the only option for me was to win.
The pressure of the competition is extremely heavy, stressful, challenging but so fun! I wanted to win so badly, I did everything I could to not let the stress phase me. During the competition, I constantly reminded myself of why I was pushing so hard & kept my eye on the prize, giving 150% of my efforts at all times. I made it a point to have fun each & every challenge, and just put out the best food I possibly could.
4. What are your thoughts about Black representation of chefs in Canada? How important is it integrating your culture in your cooking?
I think the Black representation of Chefs in Canada is lacking, but I feel like this is also the case all over the world. Growing up I didn’t really have a Black Executive Chef to look up to, so this is my opportunity to be that for young Chef’s coming up. I hope my accomplishments really inspire the youth in the culinary world to keep pushing & really believe in themselves. It’s incredibly important to integrate my culture into my cooking. It’s how I pay homage to my roots & Jamaican and Caribbean ingredients deserve to be treated at the highest level.
5. What advice can you give aspiring Black chefs out there who are hoping to have the same path as you? Tell us the importance of sticking to your roots and staying true to who you are.
First & foremost, dream BIG! Staying close to your roots is important, however don’t feel like you need to stay within a box. Have a different perspective on things – don’t be afraid to be different. Most importantly, don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t. I can’t count the amount of times that I’ve been doubted by my Chefs & have been told that I wasn’t ready. I didn’t let that phase me & I kept on believing in myself and my abilities. This is what got me to where I am today & will keep pushing me into the future.
6. How has your life changed since winning the competition and what else can we expect from you?
Life has changed a lot & I am so grateful! I’ve been getting a lot of new & interesting opportunities that I’ve never before been considered for. I’ve been working on a bunch of cool events & pop-ups in different cities, different brand collaborations & really pushing to modernize Caribbean Cuisine.
Tre Sanderson’s Plantain Bread With Cream Cheese Buttercream
PLANTAIN BREAD
- 254 g All-Purpose Flour (Sifted).
- 200 g Brown Sugar.
- 3/4 Tsp Baking Soda.
- 1/2 Tsp All-Spice (Ground).
- 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon (Ground).
- 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg (Ground).
- 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt.
- 1 Tsp Wray & Nephew White Rum.
- 1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract.
- 340 g Very Ripe Plantains (almost completely black).
- 60 g Plain Sour Cream.
- 2 Eggs (Large).
- 42 g Unsalted Butter (Melted).
- 42 g Vegetable or Canola Oil.
- 100 g Roasted Walnuts.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8 1/2”x “4 1/2 Loaf Pan with unsalted butter.
- In a small bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking soda, all-spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, kosher salt and roasted walnuts together then set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix rum, vanilla extract, ripe plantains, sour cream, eggs, butter, and oil together. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients, folding until just incorporated (do not over mix).
- Place in greased loaf pan and place into pre-heated oven. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean with small crumbs.
- Remove from oven & cool in loaf pan for 20 minutes then transfer bread onto a cooling rack.
CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM
- 250 g Cream Cheese (Room Temperature).
- 115 g Unsalted Butter (Melted).
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract.
- 250 g Powdered Sugar (sifted).
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg (Ground).
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon (Ground).
- 1/4 tsp All-Spice (Ground).
- Combine Nutmeg, Cinnamon & All-Spice. Place in small frying pan on low-medium heat & remove once aroma is released.
- In a medium bowl, place cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, & the toasted spices.
- Using a hand mixer, whisk ingredients together until smooth.
- Set aside & use as desired.
