Chef Corby Pearce – Executive Chef and Partner of Evolve Specialty Catering
I started Evolve Specialty Catering back in 2008 with a fellow cook I had gone to college with. It started as a part time thing to do on weekends. We had no equipment of our own, no kitchen of our own, and no staff to speak off. But we had a really good idea.
I had spent the previous years as Sous Chef of Southwood Golf and CC, and Sous Chef at Club Regent Casino. I had done short runs at places like Manitoba Club, Palliser Hotel, Delta Hotel, and The Ranche in Calgary, Restaurant Dubrovnik, and my share of breakfast shifts, short order restaurants and blues clubs. Every place gave me a new skill and perspective of food, but it was leaving it all for catering that made the most sense. I fell in love with catering.
I started doing part time work for a couple of different companies, landing at All Seasons Catering as his Sous Chef, Banquet Catering Chef, and Film Chef. Working on film sets was like nothing I had ever done before in 15 years. I was in a different place every day, sometimes twice a day, and there was no menu. We are tasked with feeding around 150 ppl twice a day, breakfast and lunch, full buffets. We needed to keep them fed, but we needed to keep them interested as well. This meant tapping into every bit of creativity we had. 11 years later, I’m still doing it, still loving it.
The company has grown since our early days. We now have two fully equipped mobile kitchens, capable of setting up anywhere, and producing food for hundreds. We have a commissary kitchen north of the city, a support kitchen trailer with refrigeration and dry storage for food and equipment, two trucks, and a staff of 10, with 40 part time staff. We service film and stage productions all over the province, working on crews here in the city, and as far as Churchill.
My love for food will keep me driven for many years to come. It’s the simple fact that, one cannot know everything about food , that keeps me moving forward. You can never ever stop learning new things, new ideas, new techniques. The industry is constantly changing, and we need to change with it. And while having been taught everything my mentors can teach me, knowledge I draw from every day, there is always more out there to discover. I’m humbled, and excited, to share my love of food with others who love it just as much.
Menu for April 11, 2016 Event
- Fresh Foccoccia
- Pickerel Cheeks with Jalepeno Aoli and Matchstick Fries
- Burboun Beef Wellington
- Bacon Braised Brussel Sprout
- Homemade Mushroom Tagliatelle
- Maple Crusted Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Brandy Basket
Chef Corby brought his mobile kitchen out to the event and several members got to cook portions of their dish in the trailer. Very cool!
