Poyan Danesh is no stranger to cooking under pressure. A rising star in the Canadian culinary scene, Poyan was honoured with the Top in Trades award in recognition of his career success, commitment to training and community involvement.
Created by the Industry Training Authority, in partnership with The Province newspaper, the awards were designed to highlight excellence in trades and to encourage young people to consider these careers by imparting success stories – and Poyan’s success is indisputable.
Originally planning to study dental hygiene, Poyan had an epiphany while hiking the West Coast Trail. He decided to pursue his long-time passion, and enrolled in culinary arts at Vancouver Community College.
When he graduated, Poyan was at the top of his class, but he says the program taught him more than just the fundamentals of cooking.
“I learned the basics of modern cooking, but I also learned that it takes more than a good cook to become a chef. It takes a person of vision and passion – and one with a positive attitude,” says Poyan.
Upon graduation, he was immediately hired by the Marriott Pinnacle Hotel in downtown Vancouver. After putting in a full day cooking for hotel guests, Poyan would often spend his free time honing his competition skills for Culinary Team Canada. Over the past four years, he has participated in more than 12 competitions in locations as diverse as Chicago and Switzerland.
As if that weren’t enough, Poyan also teaches food techniques to high school home economics teachers and takes the time to educate high school students about the culinary arts.
“The culinary arts are ideal if you want to find a rewarding career that is exploding in this country. You will have to be prepared to put in a lot of time in order to excel, but if you are willing to work hard, and have a good attitude, the world is at your doorstep,” says Poyan.
Most recently, Poyan has begun work as a chef at a fishing lodge in the Queen Charlotte Islands, which he welcomes as an opportunity to broaden his skill set.
“Working in diverse environments forces you to step out of your comfort zone – from working in different kitchens, to competing and participating in fundraisers – a chef should be able to adapt to his environment and still be able to create his masterpiece,” says Poyan.
When asked where he envisions his career in 10 years, his answer reflects the truly limitless possibilities of his career choice.
“I would love to write a cook book someday or possibly host a TV show, but I believe that at this stage in my career, I should concentrate on refining my craft.”
