Ottawa's food scene is having a moment on national television, with two local chefs appearing on two of Canada's biggest cooking competition shows this season.
A Nepean chef heads to Top Chef Canada
Kathryn "Kat" Ferries, who works at Around the Block Butcher and Market in Nepean, has joined the cast of Top Chef Canada for its 13th season. Ferries brings serious Ottawa kitchen experience to the competition: she spent nearly seven years at Stofa Restaurant before moving over to Elise Restaurant in 2024. That mix of fine-dining pedigree and hands-on butchery knowledge from her current shop in Nepean could make her a contender to watch once the cameras start rolling.
Top Chef Canada's season 13 premiere airs Oct. 20 on Food Network Canada, so Ottawa food fans won't have to wait long to see how Ferries fares against chefs from across the country.
An Ottawa home cook's MasterChef Canada run
Meanwhile, Ottawa's Amanda Baker already got her shot at the MasterChef Canada title. Baker, a home chef and founder of the consulting firm Baked Good Impact, competed in the season's first episode, which began airing Sept. 22 on CTV. Her run was short-lived: Baker was sent home along with three other contestants in the show's first elimination round.
Even with an early exit, Baker's appearance is a reminder of just how deep Ottawa's food talent runs, from professional kitchens to home cooks turned entrepreneurs. Founding Baked Good Impact after stepping away from a previous role shows the kind of career pivot that's become common among Ottawa's food-industry crowd, many of whom move between restaurant work, consulting, and media.
What led here
Ottawa chefs have had a strong run in the spotlight lately. Earlier this month, Yannick La Salle, chef at the Supreme Court of Canada, took home gold at the city's 20th anniversary Great Canadian Kitchen Party, ottown's earlier report on the Monday night event held at Raphael Peruvian Cuisine. Between that win and now two chefs with local ties appearing on national TV, it's shaping up to be a busy fall for Ottawa's culinary reputation.
What to watch for
With Top Chef Canada's premiere still a few weeks out, Ottawa viewers will have plenty of chances to cheer on Ferries as the season unfolds on Food Network Canada. Baker's MasterChef Canada journey has already wrapped, but her appearance adds her name to the growing list of Ottawa-connected talent showing up on Canada's food TV circuit this year.
Whether it's a Nepean butcher shop or a home kitchen turned consulting business, Ottawa's food scene keeps finding its way onto national screens, and there's likely more to come as both shows continue their seasons.
Sources: Ottawa Business Journal
