There won’t be any rules against playing with your food when Chef Professor Olaf Mertens takes over Benchmark restaurant for what promises to be an unforgettable one-evening experience on January 23 – in fact, it will be encouraged!

The talented, fun-loving German-born chef is stirring up a distinctive culinary experience rolled in with storytelling and a dash of whimsy as the next headliner for NC’s hot new dinner series, A Chef’s Journey.

Each event in the series will shine a spotlight on an academic chef – or two – who will curate a multi-course meal along with an evening experience that reflects their personal journeys. The events will also include featured alumni and a team of students. Stories will be conveyed through their menu of food and beverage selections, storytelling, visuals, and other surprises.

‘Yes, play with your food!” will be the theme for Mertens’ s one-night ‘restaurant takeover’ event, featuring interactive dishes and beverages throughout the evening.

“Personally, I want to show off hospitality, and a serious food and beverage menu, storytelling while ‘playing with your food’ and having whimsical fun tantalizing your senses,” he said. “My journey will add some story to the delicious dishes, being a Germanic influence with Canadian ingredients, with a few sprinkles of eating adventures from our travels intertwined into some bites.”

Through his menu, Mertens will offer guests a tour from his birthplace in Berlin, through Germany and into Bavaria and Salzburg, Austria – the latter destination was just minutes away from Steigenberger Hotelier School in Badreichall where he completed his Master Chef designation.

Early in his career, Mertens cooked in some of the finest restaurants in Berlin and Budapest. He earned the honour of Top Skilled Apprentice for the class of 1989 and was awarded Berlin’s Apprentice of the Year that same year.

In Canada, he worked at Rogues Hotel in Mississauga, which was awarded one of Canada’s Top 40 Restaurants, before becoming the executive chef and co-founder/owner of HIP Restaurants and its three Mississauga locations – On the Curve Hot Stone and Wine Bar, Ten Restaurant & Wine Bar and West 50 Pourhouse and Grill; as well as his own catering division Catering … From the HIP, which has served high profile guests from British royalty, the German embassy and large German companies.

Mertens has been bringing his expertise to the classrooms and labs of NC since 2010. He was a coach for Junior Culinary Team Canada between 2013-2016 – when a team of culinary students and recent graduates won the right to represent Canada at international competitions, including the IKA Culinary Olympics in Germany, and brought home multiple medals.

That team included Robbie Aggarwal (Culinary Management – Co-op, 2016) who will be returning to his alma mater as one of the featured alumni for the January 23 dinner event. Aggarwal, who owns Niagara Falls-based Norcini and Co. and Lela Park - and has employed several NC alumni since opening his business in 2021 – feels grateful and honoured to return to NC as an established alumni.

“This is a full-circle moment to be able to give back and contribute to where the foundational training of my career started,” he said. “Chef Olaf was not only my coach but a mentor. He pushed me to strive for greatness, nothing less was acceptable.

“My whole experience at NC and all the support from the facility, administration and support staff is what led to my success in the industry.”

The event will also include Wine Professor Gavin Robertson, who is a NC graduate (Winery and Viticulture Technician, 2011).

“Olaf and I are good pals and he’s an incredibly talented and creative guy, so we had a blast bouncing food and beverage pairing ideas off one another to see where we landed with the menu,” said Robertson. “In my day-to-day as an instructor, it’s easy to get hung up on the microscopic details of the wine sciences, and this is an opportunity to remember what it’s all really about: the pleasure of eating and drinking wonderful, craft-made things together in a properly-lit, super social warm room on a cold winter’s night.”

They will be joined by Chef Professor Erik Mauke, who has 25 years of culinary management experience and operated two artisanal food businesses before deciding to focus on teaching.

“I am an ‘Olaf alumni.’  I worked with him many years ago where he afforded me opportunities for which I will be forever grateful,” said Mauke.

Upcoming events

A Chef’s Journey with Olaf Mertens marks the second event in the College dinner series, which launched in late November with a sold-out inaugural dinner featuring Chef Craig Youdale (Dean, Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies).

“A Chef’s Journey is a celebration of culinary artistry, community and the journeys that have shaped our talented chefs and alumni,” said Youdale. “Each event promises to create meaningful connections between our College chefs, alumni, students and our community.”

The inaugural event also marked the launch of a new Student Experience Scholarship Fund. In lieu of leaving a gratuity for service at Benchmark restaurant or a special event hosted by the Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies division, guests are now encouraged to donate to the new fund which will create scholarships for students from NC’s schools of Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism, and Wine, Beer and Spirits.

In addition to A Chef’s Journey with Olaf Mertens on January 23, the series will feature an exciting lineup of NC Chef Professors including:

• Michael Olson, along with his wife, celebrity chef Anna Olson, on February 13;

• Michelin Guide recognized chef Frank Dodd (also Executive Chef at Trius Winery Restaurant) on March 20;

• Erin Circelli and Isa Mottiar on April 3;

• Riley Bennett on April 24;

• Scott Baechler on May 8; and

• Oscar Turchi on May 22.

A Chef’s Journey events will be held at Benchmark restaurant, located at NC’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The events will be supported by students and staff from the College’s Benchmark team led by Victor Oliveira and Chef Justin Downes.

Tickets are available, while supplies last, via Eventbrite:eventbrite.ca/e/a-chefs-journey-celebrating-students-tickets-1092764741759?aff=oddtdtcreator. Mertens’ event on January 23 and Olson’s event on February 13 have sold out.

 

Related articles

A Chef’s Journey Featured Alumni: Gavin Robertson

A Chef’s Journey Featured Alumni: Robbie Aggarwal

New signature dinner series to celebrate NC’s academic chefs and alumni 

New scholarship fund is on the menu for NC Culinary, Tourism and Beverage students 

 

It’s only been five years since he graduated from Niagara College, but Andrés Coimbra Castedo is ahead of the game; his name has already graced the credits of an Oscar-winning film – and now he’s taking centre stage among the top college graduates in Ontario.

The 26-year-old NC Game Development graduate (2019), who is a Lighting Artist for Herne Hill Media and worked on the Oscar-winning film Pinocchio, is the winner of this year’s prestigious Premier’s Award in the Recent Graduate category. Winners were announced at Colleges Ontario’s Premier’s Awards Gala, held on the evening of November 25 in Toronto.

“I am completely honoured. This is a great opportunity that I’m very thankful for,” said Coimbra, who is a resident of St. Catharines. “I want to thank Niagara College for giving me my education, the foundation for my career. I want to thank my industry colleagues who gave me a chance to start in this industry and join in this project that was Pinocchio and, above all else, I want to thank my mother for believing in me and being there with me.”

“Our College community is tremendously proud of Andrés, whose remarkable journey illuminates what Ontario college graduates can achieve when they go the distance to pursue their dreams,” said NC President Sean Kennedy. “As a NC Alumni of Excellence, Andrés is a shining example of the significant impact our NC graduates have on their industries in Niagara, across Canada and around the world.”

The award was deeply meaningful for Coimbra, who has been going the distance to pursue his career dreams. Originally from Bolivia, Coimbra and his mother immigrated to Canada in 2011, first to New Brunswick, then to southern Ontario to follow his career aspirations. He enrolled at NC after high school, drawn to the College’s three-year Game Development program.

“It means a lot … I am an immigrant. I came here when I was 13 years old in search for accomplishing my career goals,” he said. “To be recognized in this way means the decision to come to Canada was definitely the right decision, and all the efforts that we made, they were worth it.”

While at NC, Coimbra and a team of classmates co-created a video game for their capstone project — The Fallen –that was published on Steam. He developed a love for lighting characters, VFX and set pieces in movies and games, and discovered his passion for lighting scenes in animated films.

Just a few years after graduating, a film he worked on as a lighting artist, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2023.

Castedo now works for a Toronto VFX studio producing films for high-profile Hollywood clients. Looking back on his journey, he is thankful for his experience at NC.

“The best thing the College gave me were the professors; they really guided me. They saw that I had potential and they took the time to mentor me, not only during the time that I was in College but also afterwards, and that guidance was invaluable to me,” he said. “I am forever grateful to the College for giving me all the opportunities, all the people that I’ve met there, my friends, all the people that became my coworkers later too.”

Coimbra was among seven NC Alumni of Excellence who were nominated for this year’s Premier’s Awards. The nominees are all 2024 NC Alumni of Excellence honourees – the highest recognition alumni can receive from the College for their notable achievements.

He is the ninth graduate of Niagara College to win a Premier’s Award since the awards were launched in 1992. Previous NC alumni winners include:

2022: Journalist Murray Brewster (Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film grad, 1985), and Founder of Erica’s Embrace, Erica Williams (Social Service Worker grad, 2018);
2014: Royal Canadian Navy Capt. Rebecca Patterson (Nursing grad, 1987);
2012: David Pratt (Greenhouse Technician grad, 2007);
2011: Jerry Howell (Computer Engineering Technology grad, 1988);
2008: Jordan Harris (Winery and Viticulture Technician grad, 2004);
2003: Heather Kilty (Social Welfare Worker grad, 1969); and
1995: Carol Alaimo (Journalism-Print grad, 1984).

Hosted annually, the Premier’s Awards celebrate the important social and economic contributions that graduates make in Ontario and around the world. For more information about the Premier’s Awards, visit co-awards.org.

NC has an alumni community of more than 120,000 – and growing. Visit niagaracollege.ca/alumnirelations.

 

 

 

A recent graduate from NC’s School of Business joined City staff at the Welland Campus on November 6 with copies of a recently-released book to help newcomers discover and feel at home in their community.

A pop-up event gave students a chance to get free copies of Wonders of Welland and meet the book’s creative team; including author Marc MacDonald, Chief Communications and Engagement Officer, City of Welland; illustrator Javier Carranza, NC alumnus (2024) who worked on the project as a student intern; and editor Paul Orlando, Communications Specialist from the City of Welland.

Carranza, who graduated earlier this year, illustrated Wonders of Welland while working with the City’s Communications department as an intern in 2022 and 2023. He brought his previous experience in graphic design as well as his unique perspective as a newcomer from Honduras to the project.

“I am highly honoured, grateful and excited to be able to share this great achievement with the Niagara College community,” he said.

For Carranza, the book captures the emotional journey of being a newcomer that he, like many students, have experienced.

“It’s OK to feel sadness when leaving a place we once called home, but each phase along the way brings something positive,” said Carranza. “Embrace the new: new people, new experiences, and new opportunities to share who we are. In time, this new place becomes home, and that’s perfectly OK.”

The City launched the book in June 2024. The 36-page book unfolds across a calendar year, and highlights must-visit places and diverse opportunities within the community. It aims to bridge generational gaps, promote literacy, encourage family bonding, and nurture civic pride and community engagement.

The Wonders of Welland pop-up was organized by the College’s Alumni Relations and Community Relations and Events, in partnership with the City of Welland.

For information Wonders of Welland, visit www.welland.ca/WoW.

Related posts

October 28, 2024: Don’t miss Wonders of Welland pop-up Nov. 6

June 21 article: College featured in city of Welland’s children’s book illustrated by alumnus

 

They may have graduated from different programs, years, and even campuses but, for one memorable day, they gathered to celebrate their shared experience as forever NC Knights.

More than 200 members of the College’s alumni community returned to their alma mater for ReuKnighted ’24, an action-packed one-day alumni reunion event hosted by Alumni Relations in partnership with Athletics. Held at the Welland Campus on November 2, this year’s event marked the fourth ReuKnighted event since 2019, offering alumni and friends a chance to return to campus, reconnect with their former classmates and college staff, and cheer on the NC Knights.

“This year’s ReuKnighted was our best to-date! It was so fantastic to see our alumni bring their pride back to campus and see how much it has evolved since they attended,” said Jana Boniferro, Director, Alumni Relations. “The nostalgia in the room was palpable – can’t wait for ReuKnighted 2025!”

An indoor tailgate party at The Core was at the heart of the event, where alumni had a chance to mix and mingle while enjoying snacks from the School of Culinary Arts. Guests could also take in four varsity Knights games held throughout the day at the Simplii Financial Athletic Centre – or view the action on screen from The Core in real time, thanks to the involvement of NC’s Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film program.

“We appreciate all of the athletes coming back and it’s really fun to see all the alumni from Niagara College who come back for this event,” said Michele O’Keefe, Director of Athletics.

50-year milestone

The event proved to be a trip down memory lane for a group of School of Business alumni from the Class of 1974. After meeting for lunch at the Rex Hotel, the group had an opportunity to tour some of the newer areas of the Welland Campus prior to attending the indoor tailgate party.

“This is just amazing to see it now,” said Karla Gilmore (St. Catharines), recounting the many facilities on campus that did not yet exist while she attended the College. It was her first time back on campus since the group’s 25-year reunion.

“In some ways, I’d like to be a student today,” she said, complimenting the newer spaces. “There were only 2,000 students at the time we were at the College.”

Gilmore smiled as she flipped through a 1974 yearbook and pointed to a photo of her 19-year-old self as a Business – Accounting student. Her NC experience prepared her well for her more than 40-year career in accounting. She recalled how, during the first couple weeks of school, one of her teachers told the class to look to the person on their left and then to the person on their right.

“He said, in three years, only one of you will be here … he meant that one of us would succeed in the program,” she said. “It was so rigorous. And it was the hardest course.”

Daryl Schneider (Port Colborne), who was also among the group celebrating their 50-year graduation milestone from the School of Business, pointed to a photo of himself along with two others on their graduation day, standing next to a brick wall backdrop in the old Mackenzie Building

He looked back on how attending NC helped him and his classmates enter the workforce after graduating in 1974.

“I had one job after this. I was a manufacturing engineer at John Deere in Welland,” he said “I retired at 56 years old but that gave me 36 years. We all had good jobs.”

Schneider enjoyed touring the campus during ReuKnighted, taking in the places that did not exist while he was a student, as well as those which remained. He has returned to campus a few times over the years and now looks forward to his granddaughter following his footsteps.

“My granddaughter is coming here in January,” he said, noting she will soon be enrolled in the Hairstyling program. “She’s 18 and she’ll start here. So I thought, that’s pretty cool.”

Leaders take the stage

With the tailgate in full swing, guests had a chance to hear from two members of NC’s executive team who addressed the crowd.

Vice-President, Advancement, Gord Arbeau spoke about the College’s growth and plans for the future. He pointed out that NC’s alumni community includes 125,000 around the world, and recognized attendees who are among the College’s 2024 Alumni of Excellence honorees (soon to be announced), including Elizabeth Tait (Motive Power Technician, 2011) and Andres Coimbra Castedo (Game Development, 2019). He called out the group of Business grads from the Class of 1974 who were celebrating their 50^th milestone at the event, and mentioned that many from the group began their careers together after graduation at Canadian National Railway, which had hired an entire class of 20 Business graduates in 1974.

Looking to the future, Arbeau highlighted the launch of the largest fundraising campaign NC College’s history, the Together Campaign, and encouraged guests to learn more about it.

“We hope to raise $50 million to do some really transformational things for the College,” he said, noting plans to invest in new buildings, including a new skilled trades centre and an expansion of the Applied Health Institute.

“Skilled trades and health are two areas that our community partners are telling us they need more NC graduates so we need to expand those facilities,” said Arbeau. “And we’re going to be investing more in our students, more student scholarships, more bursaries, more supports for our students.”

Alumni also got a special welcome from Vice-President, Students, Chris McGrath who noted his focus is on ensuring that NC students have the best possible experience both inside and outside of the classroom.

“Do take the opportunity to reconnect to people who are important to you and go see the places that are important to you. On behalf of all of our current students who know how important you are to them in their futures, outside of NC, thanks for joining us,” said McGrath. “I’m very focused on making sure that our students today have a very similar sort of experience so hopefully in three, four, five, or 30 years, they’ll also come back for ReuKnighted as well.”

NC’s Welland Campus will be the in heart of the action on Saturday, November 2 as alumni and friends gather for ReuKnighted ’24 – and the College community is encouraged to attend.

A limited number of tickets are still available for the annual, one-of-a-kind alumni reunion which promises a full day of family-friendly fun.

Organized by Alumni Relations and Athletics, this year will be the first that ReuKnighted will be held in a one-day format. Guests can take in NC Knights games with admission to two basketball and two volleyball games at the Simplii Financial Athletic Centre, along with an alumni tailgate party, VIP access to The Core, and a dedicated ‘kids’ zone’ for younger Knights fans.

“ReuKnighted is the perfect time for our NC alumni to return to campus to reminisce, catch up and cheer on our NC Knights,” said Jana Boniferro, Director, Alumni Relations. “ReuKnighted is open to all alumni and friends, and we hope to see many NC employees will get into the spirit as well.”

Those who attend ReuKnighted ’24 will also have a rare opportunity to own a piece of Knights’ history. About 40 old team bench chairs bearing the former Knights logo will be available for purchase at the event. The chairs were replaced over the summer with ones bearing the new logo.

“ReuKnighted is always a great time for our alumni to return to Welland Campus, see how things have changed, connect with old friends and watch our varsity Knights play,” said Michele O’Keefe, Director Athletics and Student Engagement. “Our gym has had a big refresh this year and we’re anxious for our Knights alumni to see it.”

Full day of fun

Tickets include admission to four games throughout the day at the Simplii Financial Athletic Centre, as well as to an indoor Tailgate Party at The Core from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. which will include food from the School of Culinary Arts. Games include:

• Noon – 1:30 p.m. Women’s Basketball (vs. Sheridan);
• 2 – 3:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball (vs. Sheridan);
• 6 -7:30 p.m. Women’s Volleyball (vs. Fanshawe); and
• 8-9:30 p.m. Men’s Volleyball (vs. Fanshawe).

Reserve your tickets

Adult tickets are $10 per ticket plus fees. Ticket includes VIP access to The Core, game admission, and food (a cash bar will be available). Youth tickets for ages 12 and under are free. Youth ticket includes VIP access to The Core, game admissions, food and access to the kids’ zone.

Tickets may be purchased via Eventbrite here.