Quizine

	INTERVIEW with Executive Chef GRANT CARSON of Lionhead Golf & Country Club
	interview LORI McLORN photo STEVE UHRANEY

	When did you first start thinking about getting into cooking? During high school I worked in various restaurant positions starting from dishwashing and working my way up to a kitchen manager. Was there someone in your early years that inspired you to become a chef? I didn’t really know what was involved in the beginning. I wasn’t overly eager to go to university – it wasn’t for me. But my mentor was Chef Joseph Vonlanthen who I worked under at the Constellation Hotel. Where have you worked in the past? I was at the Constellation for eight years and then spent a year in Vancouver where I was the chef of a new restaurant that was voted #1 in the city. We really focused on organics back then. Vancouver was way ahead of the curve on that one. Then I started here and I have been at the club for the last 15 years. Why did you choose a golf course venue over a hotel/restaurant? I came from a large hotel where we could handle 3,500 people for banquets. You have 4-6 outlets and you really see everything. I think I would find it a little more monotonous in a restaurant environment – the club here is a better fit for me. I enjoy the atmosphere. It’s different from the hotel scene and I like the relationships I have built here with the members over the years. Besides holding private functions and banquets, is there a big difference to running a golf club restaurant? It is similar to a hotel in that regard where we hold multiple functions. We have two separate restaurants running at once. Some days we have corporate functions, a wedding and a tournament happening simultaneously with different menus for each one. How many are in the kitchen with you on a busy day? I have approximately 40 staff all together and on a busy day there would be around 24 of us in the kitchen. Are there many private functions and weddings held at the club? We have had as many as 26 summer weddings in the past, but typically we do about 20 with June being the busiest month. I have just launched a new, all-inclusive wedding package that has been well received. It is a much better route where all of the bride’s questions are answered for them on-line. What is the largest party you have held here at the club? I would say our corporate Christmas party. There were 800 people in a Marché style set-up and for sit-down we have done 650 people. Are there frustrating moments you recall when you know the show must go on? (Laughter) There are lots of frustrating moments. I started in this business very green and I’ve learned to “roll with it.” Are you still very hands-on these days with the cooking and prep work? I used to be here start to finish, but I am less hands-on these days. I want to be able to supervise the staff properly. You have to step back and make sure we are doing things right. I oversee all six golf courses and keep on top of their day-to-day operations. I do the purchasing and corporate packages and approve menus for each individual lounge as well as pricing and evaluating staff. What is your schedule like with the summer months being your peak period? Yes, summer is very busy. In June there are no days off and you stay as long as you need to be here. In summer it’s 6-7 days a week with working maybe 60-80 hours. Some mornings I start at 3:30 a.m. and if it is a night function I might start at 5 p.m. and go until 3:30 a.m. Off-season is very different. Where do you see yourself in five years time? I am happy where I am. Every job evolves. I am having too much fun to think about being anywhere else. What is your favourite utensil you just can’t live without in the kitchen? I wish I could say the computer. That’s where I seem to spend most of my time (laughter), but truthfully in the kitchen, I cannot live without a sharp knife. Whose personality do you resemble the most in the kitchen when the going gets tough? Would it be a Gordon Ramsey or Michael Smith? When the going gets tough it would have been Ramsey, for sure, 13 years ago. I worked under a Swiss-German chef and I took on his personality. Once I was removed from the situation and had kids it seemed to mellow me out as well. The colourful language has not left me altogether, though. What words of wisdom would you offer those embarking on a cooking career? You have to love it. It is a difficult business. You had better get used to working 16 hours a day. It is 100% commitment. You get out of it what you put into it. This is your university.		A Stroke of Luck… Grant Carson gives a whole new meaning to the words ‘Iron Chef” with the breathtaking Lionhead Golf Course as his destination. Being surrounded by lush, manicured fairways and greens, an elegant clubhouse with a devoted, long-term staff and the opportunity for an occasional round of golf, it makes it easy for Grant to come to work every day. He has remained true to his course and his follow-through has paid off as he oversees all six of the Kaneff Golf Course clubhouses from Brampton to Niagara-On-The-Lake. I met up with Chef Carson to talk with the man who has the ultimate job – one as rare as a hole-in-one. tners.