Durham College’s (DC) award-winning culinary programs are taught by highly-skilled chefs, with one of its graduates winning Top Chef Canada in 2022.
The culinary programs at DC include hands-on training facilities, as well as sustainable agriculture and urban farming, making it unique from other culinary programs in the province.
DC offers three programs: Culinary Management, a two-year diploma, Culinary Management – OYAP Stream, which allows high school students to receive advanced standing for the diploma program, and Culinary Skills, a one-year certificate.
“One of the biggest things that we do is we show them as many different aspects of the program and the industry as possible, and that means butchery, cheesemaking, charcuterie production,” said chef and program coordinator Dave Hawey.
“We’re the only school in the province that’s licensed to produce and sell cured meats, so this is something that’s unique to us.”
The food industry is one of the biggest industries in the world, with a total revenue of $8.71 trillion trillion in 2025, according to Anchor Group. The industry is growing every day, with dozens of new restaurants opening daily in Canada, according to Restaurants Canada
According to Hawey, the most popular program is the two-year Culinary Management program.
The program teaches cooking techniques with essential business management skills and many students end up as either executive chefs or food service managers, he said.
The Culinary Management – OYAP Stream program is the same except students start in high school as part of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP).
Culinary Skills is a one-year program where students learn foundational training for the food service industry. Many go on to become line cooks, assistant bakers, banquet and catering cooks or food sales representatives.
Payton Brown, a second-year Culinary Management student, grew up on a farm and that influenced her decision to become a chef.
“It influenced me to put a lot of love and care into cooking an ingredient to its best potential, so the farmers work does not go to waste,” she said.
Brown’s goal is to one day run a field-to-fork restaurant that works with local farmers.
“I care a lot about the people that grow our food, so I thought that becoming a chef would allow me to bridge the gap between consumers and where their food comes from,” she said.
In second year, she advanced her skills including butchering and learning how different foods and beverages go together and how to elevate a dish.
Durham College offers learning beyond the kitchen, according to Hawey.
“We are different in the sense that we do sit on a three-acre farm, so our students get the opportunity to run outside and grab vegetables in the fall,” he said. “They get to learn hands-on about the farming aspect and how it ties in closely with culinary.”
The farm is located next to the food building on the Whitby campus and is used by both the cooking and horticulture programs.
All the ingredients grown on the farm are used in Bistro 67, the college’s restaurant, and the Pantry retail store. The farm helps with field-to-fork Integration.