At the age of 29, Oakville celebrity chef Imrun Texeira has already navigated through an exceptional culinary journey that far exceeds the dreams of many.
The idea of working in the food industry in some capacity came early to Imrun while working in his first job at 14 with the Tex-Mex franchise Lone Star Texas Grill. Starting as a dishwasher and observing the day-to-day mechanics, Imrun encouraged management to move him, only four months into his employment, to cooking on the line.
Sharing his keen interest in pursuing a career in cooking, those with weathered experience tried their best to discourage him based on the harsh realities of the industry. Their advice diverted his focus, leading him to pursue another occupation, which he soon dropped out of to enroll in culinary school the following year.
Just before completing the Culinary Program at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Texeira applied in 2015 to compete in Season 3 of Food Network Canada Chopped, finishing as runner-up.
Inspired by chefs like Anthony Bourdain, at the young age of 20, Imrun canvassed many of the Michelin Star restaurants in the UK for an opportunity to intern.
Texeira learned under some of the most influential and notable chefs for seven months in England, like Claude Bosi, then owner of Hibiscus Restaurant, while learning all he could about British cuisine.
Texeira returned to Canada to work in some of Ottawa's award-winning restaurants in 2016, like Stofa and then at Atelier, as the youngest ever to work in the kitchen alongside several talented chefs. The restaurant ran a 12-course blind-tasting menu focused on molecular gastronomy, for which Texeira was privileged to contribute three of his own dishes.
"Being in my early 20s, putting my dishes on one of the best menus in one of the best restaurants in the city, working around molecular gastronomy, with cool techniques, ingredients and tools, was like a playground for me. The opportunity to work with Atelier's Owner and Chef Marc Lepine was a lot of fun. I have a lot of respect for him," shares Texeira.
In 2019 he filmed in Season 8 of Top Chef Canada as a competitor and finished as a semi-finalist.
Texeira then made his way to Copenhagen, where he worked under Canadian-born Chef Ben Ing in 2020 at Noma. This exceptional restaurant was ranked the best in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list.
By spring 2021, the world's most coveted restaurant was awarded its third Michelin Star and again returned to its distinguished place as the best restaurant in the world, a distinguished position that Texeira feels proud to have been part of a team that contributed to the achievement of that honour.
In 2021, he received the Kostuch Media Ltd.'s Top 30-Under-30 Award, partly for his open discussion and talks on sustainability. Texeira was also recognized for his charitable events hosted in support of the Canadian Cancer Society, Humane Canada, as well as with the Jane Goodall Foundation.
This year, Imrun was the first-time recipient to win the Leader Award of Excellence from Restaurants Canada in his age category because of his outstanding efforts with The Burnt Chef Project and for his work with Halton and Peel students from elementary ages to high school teaching life skills, the importance of sustainability, and educating them about career opportunities available in food and hospitality.
The Burnt Chef Project NGO, founded in the UK by Kris Hall, is a not-for-profit enterprise created to help break the stigma around mental health in the food and hospitality space.
Recognizing an increase in career burnout, alcoholism, sexual assault, drug addiction, suicides and substance abuse, the organization extends the availability of solutions, treatment, and resources to ensure that no one in food and hospitality ever feels alone. Imrun works tirelessly as Chief Ambassador in Canada with regional ambassadors to create awareness of the help available.
Working on the project has taught him to make time with family and friends. For example, Texeira is trying to pass on the importance of creating that balance with others in the industry. He hopes that the changes made now will create a better life for those who enter the industry in the future.
As a personal chef, his business is ineligible to be considered for a star within the Michelin Guide parameters. "There is a street stall in Thailand and three ramen restaurants in Japan with Michelin Stars. As an ambassador, I am attempting to build a level of hospitality outside the traditional realm that is recognized and hoping to break that barrier. It is a goal to achieve a star as a personal chef," Texeira added.
Imrun was exposed to a range of flavourful food distinctions at family gatherings. His cultural background is that of Indian descent; his father is from the North, and his mother is from the town of Gawan, but born and raised in East Africa – both meeting in the UK.
He shares, "I see a lot of changes to the industry resulting out of COVID, which is why I needed to step out to begin working with culinary schools and try to create a space for those who have diverse flavour profiles, to pave the way for other chefs like myself, to excel."
Thrilled to win The Art of Plating Award in 2021, Imrun notes, "I was able to see from experience what emotions can be evoked with nice plating and good ingredients, and from there, that helped spur ideas."
Imrun confessed, "I learned a great deal working with award-winning Chef Marc Lepine, dubbed Canada's Creative Chef, as Marc created some of the most visually appealing dishes this country has ever seen."
Imrun launched Wanderlust in 2022. When asked whether his specialty lay in sweet or savoury, he confessed, "After losing on Food Network Canada's Chopped competition in the dessert round, I enrolled in classes for cake decorating, chocolate and sugar work. I learned from my time on the show that you learn more from your failures."
A big part of his business model is brand partnership and content creation. Texeira has been working with some of the biggest food brands in North America, like KitchenAid, Anova, and Cambro.
Many flavour influences in his menus are from India, Africa, Portugal and England. Well-versed in French gastronomy from his time with Michelin Star restaurants as a personal chef, Imrun demonstrates these techniques in his Spanish, Mexican, Italian, and Vegan dishes. To provide an even more cosmopolitan experience, Imrun is now studying Japanese and Chinese cuisine.
Being able to offer his clients a range of international flavours, Imrun confesses, is his way of providing flavour experiences from different countries without having to travel.
With an ever-changing menu, Texeira customizes each with the freedom from his clients to create. He uses seasonal produce and available ingredients to tailor a menu to a specific event.
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