He’s represented Canada on the world stage, and cooked for celebrities and royalty at some of the finest restaurants across the country and abroad; now Chef Scott Baechler is ready to dish on his extraordinary career at a one-evening-only dinner event in Niagara.

On May 8, A Chef’s Journey with Scott Baechler will draw a sold-out dinner crowd to Niagara College’s Benchmark restaurant. The event will shine a spotlight on the NC Chef Professor through a carefully curated dinner menu along with dashes of storytelling peppered throughout the evening.

An ongoing dinner series at Benchmark restaurant, A Chef’s Journey celebrates NC’s exceptional roster of academic chefs who not only share their ‘recipes for success’ with students but have made their own indelible marks on the industry.

“The menu I’ve written for this event is a reflection of food memories and locations,” said Baechler who noted that a smoked black cod fish course is a variation of a dish he prepared with his former team in Vancouver, while the main course will be a spinoff of his son’s favourite dinner: steak frites.

“It will be great to share a little part of my journey with everyone.”

Baechler has enjoyed an exciting 35-year career in the food service industry. He has cooked such notables as Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip, Halle Barry and LL Cool J.

His prominent positions include Executive Chef at the Diva at the Metropolitan Hotel in Vancouver (2003-2004), Chef de Cuisine at Fairmont Dubai, United Arab Emirates (2004-2005), and Executive Chef at the Four Seasons in Whistler, B.C. (2005-2007).

Baechler was a core member of Culinary Team Canada (2013-2016) which scooped up gold and silver medals in Switzerland and Luxembourg. In addition to winning hardware at national and international culinary competitions, he also coached Canada’s national junior culinary team.

Baechler’s interest in entering the culinary world stemmed from growing up in Goderich, Ontario.

“My grandma Valma Miller was a professional caterer and my mom Larraine Baechler was an amazing home cooking baker,” he recalled. “Both of them inspired me to enter the culinary field, and I fell in love with it as a young boy.”

His journey led him to earn his diploma and Red Seal Culinary Apprentice in Toronto where he completed his apprenticeship at the Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel. He sharpened his culinary skills at prominent destinations around the world including the three Michelin-starred Connaught Hotel in London, England; Restaurant Daniel and Per Se in New York City; the Rimrock Hotel in Banff, Alberta; Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia; and the Four Seasons Hotel in Nevis, West Indies.

“When I first started in the industry at 18 and through my mid-twenties, I was pretty gutsy. I accepted positions with different hotels internationally and wasn’t afraid to make a leap,” he recalled. “It’s been an interesting and exciting journey.”

In addition to focusing on his craft, Baechler is devoted to sharing his expertise with students. He joined NC faculty in 2014 after seven years ofteaching at Fanshawe College.

“I’m very passionate about my craft and being behind the stoves with my students. It’s rewarding because you get to mentor and nurture the next generation of cooks,” he said. “To me, their success does not end in graduation – the real success is longevity with the industry.”

Some of his former students will return as featured alumni for the May 8 event, including Toronto resident RJ Fortes, Chef at 1 Kitchen restaurant(Culinary Management Co-op, 2015). Fortes fondly recalls Baechler as his Chef Professor and one of his coaches for Skills Ontario where he won gold.

“I wanted to be different and move away from home and decided on applying for the Culinary Management program at Niagara College,” said Fortes. “That ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.”

Niagara Falls resident Rashmi Italiya, Kitchen Supervisor, Four Brothers Cucina (Culinary Management Co-op, 2025), who is also involved as a featured alumna at the event, noted that Baechler and all of her NC Chef Professors contributed uniquely to her growth as a culinary professional.

“From Chef Scott [Baechler] and Chef Justin [Downes], I learned the importance of attention to detail and discipline. Chef Olaf [Mertens] taught me how to create memorable dining experiences, while Chef Anthony [Greco] emphasized efficiency in the kitchen. Chef Mitchell Lamb instilled in me a deep respect for ingredients from diverse cultures,” she said. “These lessons have become integral to my daily practices and continue to shape my approach in the culinary world.”

Featured alumni for the event will also include Dollar Thakar (Niagara Falls), Chef de Partie at Benchmark, who graduated from Culinary Management (Co-op) in 2022.

A Chef’s Journey

Organized by NC’s trailblazing Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies division, A Chef’s Journey dinner series debuted at Benchmark in late 2024.

“A Chef’s Journey is a celebration of culinary artistry, community and the journeys that have shaped our talented chefs and alumni,” said Craig Youdale, Dean of Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies. “Each event creates meaningful connections between our College chefs, alumni, students and our community.”

The series will conclude for the 2024-2025 academic year with a sold-out event featuring Chef Professor Oscar Turchi on May 22.

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

Student Experience Scholarship Fund

Events support NC’s Student Experience Scholarship Fund, which launched simultaneously with the series late last year. In lieu of leaving a gratuity at Benchmark or a special event, guests are encouraged to donate to the fund, that creates scholarships for students within NC’s schools of Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism, and Wine, Beer and Spirits.

Donations may be made by scanning a QR code displayed on menus or through an online donation form.

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 10,000 students from over 95 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is ranked Canada’s No. 1 research college. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.

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Chef Scott Baechler: Chef Professor Scott Baechler will draw a sold-out dinner crowd to Benchmark for A Chef’s Journey on May 8.