Regina chef ready to cook at Culinary Olympics

A 22-year-old chef’s passion for cooking started with her elbows in the dirt of her garden.

Now, Bernadette Ballman is to be slicing and dicing on the international stage with Canada’s Junior Culinary Team.

Ballman, who’s originally from Emerald Park, is flying to Stuttgart, Germany, to compete at the IKA Culinary Olympics with seven of her teammates.

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Team Canada will compete in two events. One is the Restaurant of Nations, where the team will prepare a three-course meal for more than 50 guests. The other will be the Junior Chef’s Table, set up like a buffet with six different dishes, personal service and close seating to the culinary team.

Before Ballman got to the international stage, she got her education from Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s culinary arts program in Moose Jaw.

“I knew I didn’t want to do a desk job, and (wanted) to be active all day,” she said. “Two things I really liked was growing my own food and cooking.”

Ballman figured she could combine her passion for growing her own food and cooking.

Ballman, a first-timer at the Olympics, said she was introduced to the event through her teacher and boss.

“The first time I heard about it was four years ago because my boss went,” said Ballman. “I was like, ‘How do I get into this?’ ”

Jonathan Thauberger taught Ballman during her time at culinary school, then hired her to work at the Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar. She works at the Regina restaurant when she’s not training.

Ballman also worked at the Italian Star Deli and the Luther College cafeteria at the University of Regina.

Thauberger will also be at the IKA Culinary Olympics in Germany with Canada’s national team.

After acing her interview, Ballman made Canada’s junior team.

“I guess in the interview process I said all the right things because they flew me out for the next practice,” she said.

Ballman flies to Vancouver every month to train with Team Canada. Together, the team does prep like getting groceries, preparing food, and timed cooking runs.

She feels she has a good idea of what to expect for the Olympics after competing in the 2022 Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg.

In the three-course meal, Ballman thinks the team has nailed the required vegetarian and vegan options in the first course.

“I think that we have come up with a really creative take on that,” she said.

Ballman left for Germany on Sunday and will return in mid-February.