A former Okanagan College (OC) culinary student returned to his old campus last Friday (March 11) to mentor some of the region鈥檚 next best chefs during the school鈥檚 special dinner series.

The college鈥檚 restaurant hosted a number of guests on Friday for a meal that was part of the Student Chef Dinner Series, an event dedicated to giving current students a chance to work with some of the Okanagan鈥檚 most experienced chefs.

And in this case, one of the professional chefs responsible for working alongside the students was Okanagan College alumni Chris Van Hooydonk.

鈥淚t鈥檚 special coming back to OC to participate in the dinner as it鈥檚 bringing everything back full circle,鈥� Van Hooydonk.

The Okanagan College graduate is now a chef at Oliver鈥檚 Backyard Farm鈥檚 Chef Table.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great to come back and use what I know to inspire young minds. Sharing knowledge is the foundation of strong mentorship.鈥�

Students kicked off their weekend by learning from a number of OC alumni, including Van Hooydonk, who was responsible for creating the menu for Friday night鈥檚 dinner.

Some of the Okanagan鈥檚 very best foods were included in the menu, according to the college.

Locally handcrafted breads and wine from Oliver鈥檚 Bill Eggert鈥檚 Fairview Cellars were among the selections made by Van Hooydonk.

鈥淚 want to bring back the idea of breaking bread with the ones you love,鈥� he said.

鈥淭o slow down and enjoy your experience with food. This is a shift that I believe needs to happen within the food industry.鈥�

People interested in following similar upcoming special events are asked to visit the

logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com
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