chefbari

Interesting, not many people know I used to work as a architectural technologist for over seven years before changing careers. The reason being, when growing up in Vernon, British Columbia my parents owned a small donut shop on Main Street. We were pretty much forced to work in the family business with the promise they would carry it onto the kids when the retired. Unfortunately that never happened, as they sold the business for a substantial profit, leaving us kids behind in the dust. That day I vowed never to go into the restaurant business ever again, due to the small pay and extremely long hours.

Loving art I first pursued a career in a two year Applied Arts Program at Okanagan College in Kelowna, BC . Towards the end of the course I quickly realized there wasn’t any substantial paying career for an art student, so I decided to look into becoming an architectural technologist at Cariboo College ( Now Thompson Rivers University ) in Kamloops, BC for a two year course. Believe or not, I really enjoyed the architectural field, from planning municipalities and elaborate homes to participating in a short course of surveying and closing a circuit.

After my two year course I knew my potential of becoming a successful architectural technologist in the working field was more promising then being an art student ; and I was correct ! Not long after applying at several architectural and engineering companies I finally was accepted as a full time junior technologist at UMA ( Underwood & McLellan Associates Ltd.) who are one of Canada’s largest consulting engineering firms. Apparently in 2014, they announced that it is merging with a huge U.S. engineering and consulting firm, AECOM. During my time, I was contracted out in Edmonton, Calgary, Kelowna and Vancouver. We basically ( Judge Judy says “basically” is a filler word, but I still use it — lol) went where the projects needed us technologist. UMA Group were indeed accommodating and professional to their large staff of workers. That being said, in around the end of the 1980’s projects started to become scarce due to our Canadian economy. Unfortunately, UMA had to lay off staff in Kelowna and Kamloops. I had just come back from Vancouver and learned my employment wasn’t required anymore due to closing the Kelowna office.

After two years in the Okanagan applying at various engineering firms, I was running out of time and money. As a family man with one daughter, my wife and I decided it was time to leave our beloved Okanagan home and head back to Edmonton, Alberta. Unfortunately the work was extremely poor in the engineering and architectural firms and, eventually had no choice but go back into the hospitality industry working at high end hotels as an apprentice. Within a year I went to NAIT and started the Culinary Arts Program to get my papers. After three years I passed the interprovincial and provincial cooking certifications and became a full time Cook 1 , starting from the bottom of the food chain ( pun intended). It was a long hardworking road to become a leading Chef in the hospitality industry, fighting tooth and nail to overcome all the political obstacles, but eventually after many years of climbing the ladder I became a professional chef in private and public golf clubs throughout Kelowna and Vernon BC.

Never let anyone tell you the hospitality is easy because it’s not.

Cheers !

Chef Bari