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Workshop Kitchen + Culture
Calgary
Kenny’s culinary career began in his hometown of Strathmore, where he got a part time job as dishwasher in a local restaurant. Shortly after, he went to work at the very well-known restaurant Little Village Café, where his love of food and cooking was truly born. Under the tutelage of the chef and with the encouragement of the family who owned the restaurant, Kenny pursued his formal training at SAIT in the fall of 1995.
During cooking school, Kenny worked as a cook at the very busy Schanks Athletic Club, where he moved through the ranks quickly, finally achieving a Sous Chef Position before leaving to challenge himself in the fine dining world. His first stop was at Mescalero, a long-time celebrated and award winning establishment in downtown Calgary. Here Kenny really began to develop and hone his trademark style and gain the respect of his peers and colleagues. The next phase for Kenny’s career was transitioning from cook to Chef, which he successfully did when he accepted the role of Head Chef at The Living Room Restaurant on 17th Avenue. At the age of 24, his goal of being a head chef was realized.
His work at The Living Room caught the attention of Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts, and they offered him the Chef de Cuisine position at the brand new Divino Wine and Cheese Bistro on Stephen Ave. Kenny thrived in this role and was next offered the Executive Chef Position at the prestigious Ranche Restaurant in Fish Creek Park. Kenny spent 4 amazing and rewarding years at the helm of The Ranche, gaining a foothold as one of the top chefs in the city. During this time his commitment to local and regional cuisine made The Ranche one of the truly elite dining experiences in Western Canada. Critics took notice too, graciously awarding The Ranche and many accolades during his time there.
Next stop was opening a brand new restaurant for the Concorde Group called ei8ht. This concept again served to strengthen Kenny’s position as a leading chef and also allowed him to expand his knowledge with the operations side of his skill set. At this time, in 2008, Kenny knew he wanted to open his own restaurant, so he shifted his attention towards making that dream a reality.
The next few years were spent consulting on a number of projects, allowing Kenny to continue to grow his knowledge and experience. He became known as a very effective Chef Consultant, and assisted in the conceptualizing and opening of Tango Bistro, Dolce Sapori, Sabroso, as well as providing Executive Chef consulting to Rouge Restaurant in 2012-2013.
The chance finally came for Kenny to open his own restaurant in late 2013, when Theatre Junction GRAND went looking for a new restaurant partner to be located inside their beautiful and historic building. Kenny, along with his business partner, created the brand new WORKSHOP kitchen+culture, which opened in the fall of 2014. At WORKSHOP, Kenny has been able to apply all his experiences from over 20 years in the business to create a truly memorable restaurant. Since opening, WORKSHOP has hit its stride, being named one of Calgary’s best new restaurants, one of Canada’s top 100 restaurants, building a loyal following and a committed team, as well as continually pushing the envelope with creative expression both from the kitchen and the front of house.
Website: workshopcalgary.com
Twitter: @chefkenny @workshopyyc
Facebook: Workshop Kitchen Culture
Instagram: @chefkennyk @workshopyyc