Restaurants Canada celebrates top Canadian chefs at 80th RC show
Restaurants Canada celebrated 80 years of its RC Show this week, welcoming hospitality and foodservice professionals back to its annual three-day event at Toronto’s Enercare Centre.
This year’s show, which took place from April 7-9 brought together an impressive number of Canada’s leading hospitality and foodservice professionals and industry leaders to drive opportunities and fuel industry growth.
RC Show 2025, themed FUEL: Your potential, people, prosperity & passion, focused on empowering individuals and fuelling business success through innovation. Spanning over 350,000 square feet, the show floor featured 11 pavilions; dedicated spaces to celebrate diverse communities and their local innovations.
Highlights from this year’s pavilions included the return of the Black Experience, which won the Best First-Year Booth award in 2024, the Ontario pavilion that grew to feature over 40 local businesses, and the Indigenous Pavilion which proudly spotlighted remarkable Indigenous companies from across the country. With nearly 1,300 exhibitors, seven live competitions, and nine stages of programming, the event not only showcased global and local brands but also celebrated industry trailblazers while offering a dynamic platform for the latest innovations.
An exceptional lineup of speakers
This world-class trade event featured an exceptional lineup of speakers, and four exceptional keynotes, who embody innovation, vision, passion and a deep commitment to the industry we all love. Chef José Andrés, renowned chef, humanitarian, and founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), joined the show for an intimate fireside chat where he discussed the resilience of the foodservice industry and how to inspire professionals to lead with purpose and thrive in an era of rapid transformation.
Chef Tuệ Nguyễn, better known as @TwayDaBae, culinary keynote, took the stage alongside knife-skills expert Chef Wallace Wong, followed by a fireside chat with Trevor Lui. Shingo Gokan, bar & beverage keynote, bartender and founder of Fivesenses FZCO, shared industry insights and tidbits on branding, adapting to new markets, and balancing artistry with high-volume service. Michèle Boudria, leadership keynote, spoke to her role in building up McDonald’s Canada to make the right, bold decisions while navigating the complexities of leading a large-scale business in a dynamic industry.
Celebrating Canada's best chefs
The show’s seven live competitions shone a spotlight on Canada’s best and brightest chefs, pizza-makers, mixologists, baristas and shuckers. This year’s competition winners are listed below.
Bocuse d’Or National Finalist: Chef Keith Pears
Beyond the Rail Cocktail Competition: 1st Place – Jae Han, 2nd Place – Nick Benyamen, 3rd Place – Hannah Kivlin
Breakfast Sandwich Competition: 1st Place – Aleem Syed, 2nd Place – Prathamesh Patil, 3rd Place – Rishika Bhansali
Creative Pizza Competition: 1st Place – Kyle Mackay, 2nd Place – Anne Turic, 3rd Place – Jie Yan
Garland Canada Culinary Competition: 1st Place – Maya Petten, 2nd Place – Tia Huszczo, 3rd Place – Cleo Mariz Valerio, Runner Up – Alijah Casellas, Fan Favourite – Kiran Ruhela
John Bil Oyster Shucking Competition: 1st Place – Eamon Clark, 2nd Place – Chris Manocchio, 3rd Place – Brooke Kotak, Cleanest Plate – Tristan McConnell
Latte Art Competition: 1st Place – Kevin Yip, 2nd Place – Wanying Wang, 3rd Place – Ehsen Khatib
The World Pastry Cup National Finalists: Chef Christophe Sportellini and Chef Nicolas Belorgey
Traditional Pizza Competition: 1st Place – Bart Nadherny, 2nd Place – Katelynn Dingwell, 3rd Place – Jordan Chin-Ting
This year’s show floor featured cutting-edge technology and sustainable solutions to innovative culinary tools and locally sourced ingredients—exhibitors showcased the latest advancements shaping the foodservice, hospitality, and beverage sectors. This year’s exhibitor Booth Awards placed a spotlight on the standout contributions exhibitors brought to show, with top honours going to DoorDash for the Best Small Booth, Bondi Produce for Best Large Booth, Nella Cutlery for Best Experiential Booth, and last but definitely not least, Fairlee by Lassonde for Best First-Year Booth.
When one event wraps up, another is already underway, and with that: RC Show is moving to the International Centre on March 8-10, 2026! While the venue is changing, Restaurants Canada’s commitment to fuelling the potential of Canada’s foodservice and hospitality industry remains the same—the move to the International Centre opens more possibilities to deliver on that promise. For more information, visit www.rcshow.com.