Cooking has been Patrick’s life since he began cutting fries at the Red Top Diner at age 16. After working at the Old Spaghetti Factory and the Confusion Corner Bar and Grill, he signed up for RRC Polytech’s Culinary Arts program at age 23 and graduated with honours in 2014.

For his final practicum, Patrick worked at Deer + Almond and became sous chef there the following year. Planning and catering events such as Table for 1200, the Rainbow Trout music festival, and RAW:almond for five years in a row fuelled his passion for catering. He challenged the Red Seal exam in 2018 while working at The Tallest Poppy restaurant, and opened a plant-based catering business in 2020.

When the pandemic struck, Patrick enrolled in RRC Polytech’s Certificate in Adult Education to pursue his dream of becoming an instructor – a role that allows him to pass on what he has learned to the next generation of chefs in Manitoba. “The future of Canada’s culinary world is Indigenous, and I feel so fortunate to be a part of the journey to success for so many young chefs,” says Patrick, who is Métis.

In the summer of 2022, the PRK team asked Patrick to work with their new student/research assistant, Rayne Ryle-Cote, to get her accustomed to working in a research kitchen. Under Patrick’s guidance, Rayne conducted trials on the Wild Rice Pancake Recipe on the next page to better understand the research process and fine-tune a great dish.

“When I think of these pancakes, I think of the beginning of Rayne’s culinary journey,” says Patrick. “This dish symbolizes a new beginning, a fresh start, and inclusivity. Plus, they’re super tasty!”