Careers
Life-long Passion For Cooking Has Its Rewards
Kerry remembers his grandfather’s kitchen in Ontario with fondness. His grandfather trained cooks for the Canadian Armed Forces. But what Kerry remembers is the warmth and wonderful smells coming from his grandfather’s kitchen at home.
Being French Canadian, his grandfather always had a pot of split pea and ham soup or baked beans on the stove in a huge cast iron pot.
“My grandpa taught me how to make pancakes when I was five,” Kerry says. “He made cooking accessible and normalized it. Even as a child I could see myself working in a kitchen.”
That childhood experience turned into a life-long passion for food and a professional career. After winning a scholarship at graduation from high school, Kerry studied at Vancouver Vocational Institute (now Vancouver Community College) and apprenticed at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
“Working in that kitchen was pretty wonderful,” Kerry says. “Chefs then did everything, they butchered their own meat, made their own sourdough, all of it.”
The training was thorough although Kerry says it wasn’t exactly a nurturing environment. That part of the experience influenced his own desire to be a mentor and teacher in his own restaurants once he became a Certified Chef de Cuisine. Mentorship is something Kerry is passionate about and it makes his current role as the chef at Little Sprout Café in Abbotsford the perfect fit.
Little Sprout Café is an enterprise of Communitas Supportive Care Society. It combines a focus on fresh greens grown in-house with an inclusive hiring practice, prioritizing employees and trainees who may not be given a chance in another business. This love for food and a person-centred approach resonates strongly with Kerry. It’s what he has always brought to his work and it is reflected in a recent award.
Kerry and his wife Laurel were owners of The Blackberry Kitchen at Heritage Park in Mission. They were recently honoured at the Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards with the award for Customer Service Excellence. Kerry and Laurel had just retired and sold the restaurant and the award was a wonderful acknowledgement of the nearly 14 years they had had with The Blackberry Kitchen.
“What makes this award so satisfying is that it is an award that we truly share with all our staff,” Kerry says. “Customer service goes beyond the kitchen. It’s how people are treated from the minute they walk in the door to when they leave. We were so proud to be able to share it with all our staff.”
So how is it that a retired chef is now working full time in another restaurant? Kerry smiles when asked this question.
The physicality of the work, the incredible demands on his time (often 18 hour days, 7 days a week, with a small break at Christmas,) and their age (both Kerry and Laurel are in their 60s) made the decision to retire easy. Laurel had already developed some outside interests and hobbies. Kerry thought he would too.
He lasted 6 days.
“I just couldn’t do it,” he laughs, “but I also knew that I didn’t want to go back to what I’d been doing. I thought maybe I could do something part time.”
When he saw that Little Sprout Café was looking for a chef, he read the posting with interest.
“Short of having my name in the job description, it felt like it had been written for me,” he says.
Kerry was drawn to the café’s commitment to inclusive hiring and the opportunity to continue to mentor and teach people.
“Everyone deserves a chance to succeed,” Kerry reflects. “My experience is that sometimes there are challenges for you as an employer but when you see your employees achieve success, that makes it worth it.”
Since he began in December 2024, Kerry has put his mark on the café. His menu refresh continues to focus on microgreens grown in the restaurant and expands it with new proteins like the Salmon Burger, Black Bean Burger, and the Southern Chicken Sandwich. He’s introduced a local tea supplier, Karla’s Specialteas and indigenous-owned coffee company, Spirit Bear.
Customers are enjoying the new fair, commenting on the commitment to using microgreens, to delicious food, and to good customer service. James Mendonca left a positive google review, saying he felt the café is underrated.
“Little Sprout deserves much recognition for its unique menu choices and fervent workers,” James wrote. “I highly recommend this place and will definitely be coming back there.”
Kerry is gratified that people are enjoying the experience at Little Sprout. He’s also grateful for the opportunity that he continues to have to use his skills in a meaningful way – despite some continued adjustments.
“I have to admit that I’m still getting used to 8-hour days,” he says.
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