Restaurant’s chef certification program expands on culinary excellence, elevating food quality and improving upon best-in-class standards

VANCOUVER – The strength of a restaurant is ultimately measured by the talent found behind its kitchen doors. White Spot is increasing the training and skill level of its chefs to a first-class standard with its pilot Red Seal certification program – the first full apprenticeship program of its kind to be offered in-house by a restaurant. Advancing the level of fresh, innovative new dishes and taking top quality food to a new level for guests, its Red Seal program strengthens White Spot’s commitment to continuous culinary development and raises the bar for quality throughout the restaurant.

The Red Seal certification is a nationally recognized symbol of quality and is the standardized certification for Canadian chefs. While White Spot continues to offer tried and true favourites, the Red Seal certified chefs work with White Spot’s Executive Chef, Chuck Currie, to develop fresh, seasonal and new menu items that continuously exceed guests’ expectations and demonstrate White Spot’s ongoing commitment to excellence.

“The White Spot team cares about food. We are passionate about taste, freshness and providing quality food to our guests each and every day,” said Warren Erhart, president of White Spot. ”Our culture of continually enhancing the level of our food and service is evident in every thing we do. Our unique Red Seal program is yet another way we are evolving to bring a great food experience to each one of our guests.”

A leader in Red Seal training, White Spot will be the first restaurant to offer all components of a full indentured apprenticeship program in-house. Developed with the support of the Industry Training Authority and go2 – the Industry Training Organization for the hospitality industry – this program will be the first of its kind to offer standardized, comprehensive training currently only available at post-secondary institutions. The in-house indentured pilot program, expected to launch in September, builds on White Spot’s current Red Seal skills upgrading program.

White Spot’s pilot Red Seal training program will be conducted by White Spot’s Corporate Training Chef, Certified Chef de Cuisine James Kennedy, at its corporate training kitchen as well as with key industry partners at their facilities. Kennedy, who also oversees the Red Seal skills upgrading program, has a wide-range of professional experience and knowledge in the training and education of Red Seal cooks including developing programs throughout the province to upgrade to Red Seal certification and developing the B.C. Cook Apprenticeship course outline.

“Many of the employees enrolled in the upgrading program have a range of experience and we are working with them to perfect their culinary skills and techniques,” said James Kennedy, Corporate Training Chef and Chef de Cuisine of White Spot. “One of our primary goals is it to provide training opportunities to our team in order to enhance the overall White Spot experience for our guests and our employees. Both the skills upgrading program and this exciting new pilot program allow us to do so.”

The Red Seal program is an opportunity for White Spot’s culinary employees to develop their skills and pursue certification without disrupting their regular work schedule and earnings.

“Recruiting talented people with culinary credentials is quite difficult in today’s labour climate,” said Arlene Keis, CEO of go2. “Through the Red Seal certification programs, White Spot chefs are given the opportunity to learn and grow on the job while working towards a nationally-recognized and well-regarded certification. White Spot’s investment in its Red Seal programs speaks volumes about the restaurant’s commitment to its employees and the calibre of food offered to its guests.”

Today, White Spot employs 18 certified Red Seal certified chefs, with 47 individuals currently enrolled in the Red Seal skills upgrading program at White Spot, the majority of these are expected to graduate by the end of 2008.