Who is Chef Off The Line?
My name is Melanie Bourdon and I'm a certified Red Seal Chef with 20 years of experience in the food industry. I’m currently running a full-time catering & private chef business for the Ottawa and Gatineau region. My style of cooking is mostly modern French cuisine. I try to incorporate as much local and Canadian produce as I can. Here's a little background information on how I became a Chef.
Since the age of 8, my love for the arts was mainly expressed through music. During my adolescence, I received my grade 8 piano level from the Royal Conservatory of Music and also sang in Ottawa's biggest venues; the Canadian Tire Centre and the Civic Centre. It was only natural for me to continue studying music at Ottawa University where I also did a minor in trumpet. I later discovered that music was far more of a hobby than a career so I decided to take a break from my studies. I hopped on a plane and backpacked around Europe. I got to live the Parisian life in Spring 2003 where my friends and I shared an apartment together in the 5th arrondissement. This is where I discovered a new world of gastronomy that I had never experienced before. Two new chapters were added to my life that year; my love for food and my love for travelling.
At the time, I was seeking a career where I could still express myself artistically. I knew being a Chef revolved on technicality, creativity, precision and hard work - things of which I had already become habitual in my music training.
In 2004 I started my culinary studies at Algonquin College. I worked in various establishments including Canada's Parliament Hill in 2006 and in 2010 I ventured down to Australia to work for Celebrity Chefs in Sydney and in Melbourne. I've won two gold medals in regional food competitions. My last years in the restaurant industry were spent at Le Baccara, a highly acclaimed five diamond restaurant at the Casino Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec.
