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Head chef serves inspiration

Andrea Callan is the head chef at Red Fox Club.
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Andrea Callan is the head chef at Red Fox Club in West 91大黄鸭.

Andrea Callan鈥檚 dream was to be a pastry chef.

After becoming one at 15, she quickly realized her creative mind needed a challenge.

Callan is the head chef at Red Fox Club, which serves indigenous food and wine.

The 36-year old鈥檚 love of food began in Ontario with her family.

Her father has a baker鈥檚 degree and she remembers selling cookies at her father鈥檚 work and baking for fun.

鈥淲e would always do the homemade bread on our Saturdays,鈥 said Callan.

She grew up in Southern Ontario and worked at an organic farm, which she said sparked her interest in forging supplies, which she carried with her to the Red Fox.

At 15, she went to Europe and received a degree in Home Economics in Finland and studied at the Culinary Institute of Canada in P.E.I. from 1997 to 2000.

She鈥檚 worked as a pastry chef, sous-chef, in fine dining, in a pub atmosphere, as a bartender, in a bakery, selling wine and more.

She learned the business side of food in Oakville, Ont. working as a consultant at McGinnis Landing before bartending in London, Ont.

鈥淵ou really kind of want that diversity because it really gives you an idea of what you鈥檙e passions are but also a good driving force where you want to be,鈥 she said.

After London, Callan moved to Ottawa and worked at Dish Catering, a high-end catering business, where she began to 鈥渇ormulate a lot of my passions.鈥

As an executive chef 鈥渨e were doing the Ottawa Centaurs, the New Jersey Devils, private airplanes, we were cooking in Parliament Hill, special events for TV stars鈥 just crazy stuff.You鈥檙e like 鈥榙id I really do that?鈥 We got to do a ton of cool stuff.鈥

Her husband, Brian, and two sons, Mason, 10 and Spencer, seven, moved to 91大黄鸭 eight years ago with her to take a break from the hectic lifestyle.

Soon after she moved, her old dream came calling in the form of Quails Gate. She became a full-time pastry chef, which reignited her love of restaurants.

She took over as sous-chef position there, and she stayed for five seasons.

The head chef position at Red Fox fell into her lap.

The official proprietor of the Red Fox Club found her resume and called her up asking her questions, and made her curious. She didn鈥檛 know who sent him the resume.

鈥淲e met in the parking lot. He said 鈥榯his is what鈥檚 going on鈥 and opened his trunk.鈥 In it contained books for the restaurant. She met the owners, was hired and had 20 days to get the restaurant together.

鈥淭he excitement of it all was really just what drove me,鈥 she said.

As a visual learner, Callan carries a sketch book and has a stack of them at home.

鈥淚f we do a new menu item we鈥檙e going to draw it,鈥 she said.

Not only does Callan create the menus, she also grows the food.

She lives on a country property and grows ingredients for the restaurant during the summer.

鈥淲e picked a 1,000 pounds of cherries off the tree. That鈥檚 been kind of exciting and rewarding too.鈥

She recommends anything off of the Red Fox Board.

The Red Fox Club opened in May, 2016 and the restaurant side is completely staffed by women.

For any woman wanting to move into a leadership role she said to 鈥渞eally never give up, we鈥檙e human like everyone else.鈥





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