Grand Chef Jonathan Gushue – Langdon Hall (Cambridge)
www.langdonhall.ca

At the young age of 37, Jonathan Gushue, Executive Chef of Langdon Hall, is no stranger to working in an award winning environment and strives to exceed the expectations that come with upholding Langdon Hall's coveted Five Diamond Award from AAA/CAA. Before Langdon Hall he was Executive Chef of Truffles Restaurant at the Four Seasons Toronto. Langdon Hall and Truffles Restaurant are two of the three dining rooms in Ontario to hold the prestigious Five Diamond award.

During his years at Georgian College, studying Hotel Management, Jonathan started his career in the "front of house." However, at the end of his third year, as part of a co-op program, he went to northern Ontario's Manaki Lodge and made his move into the kitchen as the assistant breakfast cook. It was his first cooking job and immediately he realized it was his calling. He then returned to college and switched to the culinary management program.

After schooling, he took his culinary skills worldwide, working his way up through the kitchen with stints in Japan at an Onsen (Hot Spring) Resort and London, England at both The Berkeley Hotel and Novelli Group of Restaurants. In 1988 he returned to Canada and his hometown of St. John’s, where he was offered the sous chef position at The Fairmont Newfoundland Hotel. That same year Jonathan got married and two and a half years later, the couple and their son moved to Vancouver, where he was able to refine his skills with sous chef positions at the Wedgewood Hotel and then the Four Seasons, Vancouver.

Five years ago, he and his family relocated to Ontario taking the position as Executive Chef of the famed Truffles Restaurant at The Four Seasons Toronto, where he remained from 2003 to 2005.

The father of three, two sons and a daughter, has been at Langdon Hall since November 2005 and has a passion for French-inspired cuisine. His creativity at Langdon Hall comes from the surrounding rich farmland, which provides both inspiration and rich ingredients. He incorporates the region's deep Mennonite heritage into his cooking, while experimenting with traditional specialties such as hams, sausages, and double-smoked bacon alongside fresh-picked local corn, peaches, cherries and other seasonal produce. Right at his doorstep are local farmers and a network of artisan producers in addition to Langdon’s own vegetable garden.

The James Beard Foundation has recognized Jonathan’s culinary excellence and recently, in March of 2008, invited him to prepare some of his most elegant and tasty dishes at the James Beard House in New York City.