Craig Wakefield’s passion for food started as a young latchkey kid, preparing crepes and fancy pasta dinners for his working parents. His formal career in food began with a degree in culinary management from George Brown College. He refined his culinary skills working in acclaimed hotel dining rooms and restaurants across Ontario including the Four Seasons Toronto. Seeking to help replicate the restaurant experience for people at home, Craig returned to school for a BSc in food science and nutrition from Ryerson University, which ultimately led to his role as a product developer for President’s Choice, Canada’s largest food brand.Craig has contributed to strategy, set specifications and overseen trials and production for hundreds of private label and branded products including ice cream, pizza, juice, soup, yogurt, pasta dishes, frozen entrees, canned goods, baby food, and beer to name just a few.

Since setting out on his own three years ago, he’s put his culinary and food science backgrounds to work for a number of companies both large and small, helping them to innovate and grow to their full potential. He has traveled the world to visit major food shows, top purveyors, and dining rooms in search of food that is innovative, trend-setting, and authentic.His success as a product developer has also landed him on television. He appeared in three President’s Choice commercials that ran nationally in Canada. He has also appeared on Breakfast Television, promoting products he developed (see attached).

Craig holds a BSc from Ryerson University, professional certificates from University of Guelph, the American Institute of Baking, and the Culinary Institute of America. He is a member of the Canadian Federation of Chefs and Cooks, Research Chefs of America, and the Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology.