Born and raised in Vancouver, Keith Pears was born into a family of chefs and was destined to become immersed in the culinary field. His parents owned a small café where he spent most of his time growing up, surrounded by family working at creating great food while he eagerly played and learned.
At the young age of 15 he took his first job washing dishes at the Teahouse Restaurant in Stanley Park in his pursuit to one day becoming a renowned Chef. It was then that he discovered his culinary identity and worked under Chef Lynda Larouche for 8 years. At this time he also began his culinary studies at Vancouver Community College completing his apprenticeship program in 2003. In 2005 Keith was part of the opening culinary team at Watermark on Kits Beach and was quickly promoted to Executive Sous Chef. Through the use of fresh local ingredients and a refined menu, he continued to further develop his creative edge and style.
In 2009 and in search of a new challenge, Keith started his career as a 1st Cook at e.b.o. Restaurant & Lounge which was located at the Delta Burnaby Hotel & Conference Center. Soon enough he moved into the role Chef De Partie, then Sous Chef and in 2014 he was promoted to the role of Executive Chef. It was Keith’s drive and passion to lead a team that created beautiful and delicious food, which was very much the case at e.b.o.
Keith has gone on to compete in a number of food competitions, such as Best of the West, City TV’s Master Chef, B.C. Chef of the Year, Garland Canada International Shellfish Chef Challenge, 2016 Bocuse d’Or National Selection, winning Chopped Canada and most recently winning Gold at Canada’s Great Kitchen party in Toronto.
In 2017 Keith challenged himself both personally and professionally with a move to Toronto where he was promoted to the role of Executive Chef at the brand’s flagship hotel, the Delta Hotels by Marriott Toronto. Establishing roots in Canada’s most vibrant city is an exciting move for Keith as he works among some of the country’s best Chef’s and gains inspiration from the city’s diversity and drive. Most recently, Keith has accepted the role as Executive Chef at the new W Toronto.
Naturally driven and eager to learn and experience life to its fullest, it’s no surprise Keith made the bold move to Toronto. As he often likes to quote “you never stop learning, because life never stops teaching.”
GRILLING TIPS FROM CHEF KEITH PEARS
When it comes to grilling season, my style for grilling is to leverage the grill for the taste. I keep it simple and allow the grill to do its work. A grill adds a nice smokey, char taste that can be quite nostalgic for many. A hot grill brings out the natural flavours and enhances your marinated ingredients with the caramelizing of the natural sugars. So to get you started this grilling season, here are my five go-to tips:
- Oil the Grill: This will prevent your proteins or vegetables from sticking. It will also give you nice clean grill marks on whatever you are grilling.
- Locate your Hot Spots: Be sure to know where your hot spots are. Take your hand and run it across the grill, some areas will be hotter than others. Generally, wherever the direct heat will be coming from beneath it will be more hot. You will want to be aware based on your cooking application and preparation.
- Use a Glaze: You will want to grill your product with no sauce or very little marinade to avoid flare ups, items sticking and it gets really messy. However, be sure to have a sauce or glaze ready to go when your food is almost finished cooking. Gently brush your product multiple times before you take it off the grill.
- Temper your Meat: Before grilling any protein allow it to sit out at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour. You want to loosen the muscles in the meat so that your meat will cook nice and even.
- Let the Grill do the Work: You might naturally want to move your protein or vegetables around but you want the heat to give you the char and the nice grill marks on your ingredients.
Hope these tips help you become the ultimate griller this season! Happy grilling!
Website: https://www.keithpears.ca/
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