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Local chef brings fine-dining to you through new venture

November 5, 2020   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

When he lost his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Matthew Metcalfe decided to continue his art on a more private level.

Providing in-home fine dining to small groups of people, he brings his culinary skills to your home for an evening of high-end restaurant fare that is perfect for dinner parties or a special evening.

Matthew got his start in the hospitality world after attending college in the culinary arts program in Niagara. He then started working at a restaurant in downtown Toronto.

After attending George Brown College in a specialty culinary program, he moved to Italy for eight months and attended a culinary school there as well.

Returning home to Grand Valley, he was soon offered an opportunity to move to Vancouver to work at a high-end restaurant called Black + Blue Steak House.

“It was right downtown on Alberni St. in Vancouver,” Matthew explained. “They asked me if I wanted to come out there for a week. I went out for a week and checked out the restaurant. They offered me a pretty good wage, so we decided to move out there.”

Matthew did well at the restaurant and was on track for a lead position.

Unfortunately, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the restaurant was forced to close its doors.

Even though take-out was allowed, the restaurant, which really catered to a specific client and is considered a fine dining establishment, wasn’t inclined to serve their meals through a side door.

Matthew was in Grand Valley on a two week vacation to visit family with his wife Valentina when he got the news he’d been laid off. 

To get through the next few months, Matthew took a job at Dave’s Butcher Shop in Orangeville.

It is a job he not only appreciates, but said it is a good experience, as butcher shops cut their meat differently than most restaurants and he’s learning a lot. However, he still wanted to keep working as a chef, at least part-time for now.

He partnered with Mary-Margaret Courtney to create Metcalfe In-Home Fine Dining. Mary-Margaret handles the business side of things, while Matthew does the creative culinary work.

They discovered that people enjoy having a personal professional chef prepare a meal that they can enjoy in their own home. It provides a fine dining experience for small intimate groups of up to ten people.

“With everything happening with COVID, people still want to go out to eat,” Matthew explained. “We offer an in-home fine dining experience. I create a menu for you. It can be a family style menu or a three or four course plated dinner. I prep it all at my house, then we come to your house and take care of dinner and clean up the mess as well.”

Matthew works with his clients prior to the dinner night so he can prepare something that everyone will enjoy. He said he’s not trying to get into the catering business, which would require feeding a lot of people one dish, but rather he provides dinners of a more intimate nature for small groups and will cater to individual tastes.

Whether you are planning a special night for two, a small birthday party for a good friend, or maybe thinking of impressing some business clients, having a professional chef prepare your meal with a personalized menu will make for a very special evening.

You can contact Chef Matthew via e-mail at metcalfeinhome@gmail.com. 


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