Niagara College Baking and Pastry Arts program coordinator Catherine O’Donnell was one of just five chefs inducted into the Canadian Culinary Federation Honour Society on June 15 during the Federation’s national conference in Saskatoon.

A self-admitted stickler for the rules, O’Donnell says structure has played an important role in her career as a pastry chef. She runs a tight kitchen at Willow Cakes and Pastries, her Niagara-on-the-Lake patisserie and, when she’s teaching at Niagara College, she expects her students to show up dressed properly and ready to learn.

Whether it’s at the front of a class at the College’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, judging at a pastry chef competition somewhere around the world, or in the kitchen of one of the many hotels she’s worked at, being a “hard-nosed chef” has been instrumental in the success she’s enjoyed over the past 44 years.

And when she was the only woman inducted this year into the Honour Society, it once again validated the years of dedication she’s put into becoming a world-class pastry chef.

“There I was with four guys, and that was the coolest feeling — that I was the only female,” said O’Donnell, who’s been teaching at Niagara College since 2015. “What we do isn’t easy, and we do a lot of sacrificing and it is stressful, but the rewards at the end surpass all of that.”

O’Donnell joins Niagara College’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute dean Craig Youdale, who was inducted in 2019.

“Catherine has dedicated her life to the culinary profession as a pastry chef and [through] her work with young people launching their career,” Youdale said. “It’s great to see and we are all proud of her accomplishment.”

The Canadian Culinary Federation is Canada’s largest federally chartered professional chefs’ organization. Its goal is to unite chefs and cooks across Canada in a common dedication to professional excellence.

Each year, a handful of chefs from across the country are inducted into the Canadian Culinary Federation Honour Society. Inclusion is granted only to those who have made significant contributions and shown dedication to the Culinary Federation, as well as demonstrated a lifetime passion and service to the culinary profession.

Canadian Culinary Federation national president Ryan Marquis said inductees are nominated by their peers in their region—as a resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake, O’Donnell is a member of the Oakville branch. Their name is then put forth to be voted on by regional presidents and from there, the national selection committee makes a decision.

“Catherine was chosen because of her many years of involvement with culinary teams, branch involvement, community involvement [and] her dedication to her students at the college,” Marquis said. “I can tell you [that] professionally and personally, Catherine fits that criteria and it was our honour to induct her into our Culinary Federation Honour Society.”

“Teaching is a big element of it because it’s giving back,” O’Donnell said—and she’s given back in more places than just in the classroom.

In 2016, O’Donnell was part of the coaching crew behind Junior Culinary Team Canada, which captured a gold and silver medal at the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany. She also coached the senior team.

Later, she earned the title of Certified International Judge from the World Association of Chefs’ Societies, recognizing her as a senior-level culinary professional with advanced judging experience.

O’Donnell was just 15 years old when she got her first job working in a bakery. Then, while in Toronto for tea with her grandmother, she fell in love with the King Edward Hotel.

“I said, ‘By the time I’m 30, I want to work here,’ and I got in when I was 29 and a half,” O’Donnell said. “My goal was to be a pastry chef by the time I was 30 and work at the King Eddie and make their afternoon tea.”

From there she continued to set and hit every goal she could think of, including moving into a teaching role—though it wasn’t something she ever imagined for herself when she first started out.

Seven years later, O’Donnell said the best part of the job continues to be how it challenges her to keep learning.

“Our industry just keeps evolving, and so by teaching, I actually get to evolve with it.”

O’Donnell said her next goal is to become a published author. She’s in the process of penning her first book, which will document her rewarding career of being a chef.

Niagara College offers more than 130 diploma, bachelor degree and advanced level programs; as well as more than 600 credit, vocational and general interest Part-Time Studies courses. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, media, applied health and community safety, supported by unique learning enterprises in food, wine, beer, distilling, horticulture and esthetics. For more information visit niagaracollege.ca.

Photo: Catherine O’Donnell (right) was inducted into the Canadian Culinary Federation Honour Society during the Culinary Federation’s national conference in Saskatoon, June 15. Pictured with O’Donnell is Honour Society chair Claude Buzon.