Graduate profiles

Jessica Rosval graduated in Cuisine d’établissement in 2011, packed her bags, and left for Italy in 2013. Since then, she has been working there with Massimo Bottura, one of the world’s most famous and respected chefs. 

Named Best Female Chef in Italy by the restaurant guide L’Espresso in 2021, Jessica now leads the culinary team at the Al Gatto Verde restaurant near Modena. She has just been awarded her first Michelin Star, as well as a Michelin Green Star for her environmentally responsible gastronomic practices. 

In 2024, she was also named “Champion of Change” by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in recognition of her community initiatives aimed at integrating immigrant women. 

Robert James Penny, a.k.a. Bob le Chef, made a name for himself through Web clips designed to introduce young people to culinary arts. Using humour, he also regularly writes columns for television.

Besides being the enfant terrible of Canadian cuisine, Martin is at the helm of the sugar shack and restaurant Au Pied de Cochon, which is the only one across the country to have been named to the list of the 30 most influential restaurants of the last 30 years. He is also the star of the show Un chef à la cabane on Télé-Québec and has recently participated in the Chefs de Bois cooking competition as a judge and mentor.   

©Lyraphoto

Chef of Tapeo and chef-owner of Mesón in Montréal, co-owner of Jardin du Bedeau in Kamouraska, she is an essential reference in Québec for everything related to Spanish cuisine. Marie-Fleur is also the author of 3 cookbooks published by Éditions de l’Homme.  

©Simon Normand

Former chef and co-owner of Pastaga and Cul Sec, Martin Juneau is a regular on TV. Known for his participation in Et que ça saute!, he is also the star of Meilleur que le chef! and L’Avant match des foodies on Zeste. He is now head of the restaurant Tricot principal.

©Mickaël A. Bandassak

Winner of the 2017 edition of Les Chefs! and creator of the menu at the family restaurant O’Ravito Café Relais in Lévis, Ann-Rika Martin’s ambition is to make gastronomy and good products available to everyone. 

Chef, author, TV star, and entrepreneur, Ricardo Larrivée is now a brand that represents a contemporary family lifestyle. All of his projects hold a simple mission: to promote the importance of cooking and eating together, and to encourage the sharing of knowledge. In fact, he has made culinary education for young people his hobbyhorse.

In the hotel industry for over 40 years, Alain April is the owner of the renowned Le Bonne Entente hotel and of the Quality Inn Rivière-du-Loup. He is also General Director at the Entourage sur-le-Lac resort in Lac Beauport, whose Operations Manager is his son Julien, a graduate of the ITHQ in Hautes Études en gestion hôtelière internationale.

Named Sommelier of the Year in 2016 by Gault&Millau Canada, she now works as a consulting sommelier and trainer specializing in high-end restaurant service after several years as head sommelier at Maison Boulud, Pullman and 357c. She is also a member of the ITHQ instructors’ team.

Ranked Canada’s Best Sommelier 2015 and   5th Best Sommelier in the World 2016, Élyse Lambert is a sommelier consultant and wine columnist, notably for Radio-Canada radio. 

©John London

General Director at W New York – Union Square, Christina Poon has over 15 years of experience in the hotel industry. She has served as CEO of EVO Residences in Montreal, General Director at W Montreal and Hilton Bonaventure Montreal hotels, and in management positions at Delta Hotels across the city. 

Even from a distance, Christina continues to be involved with the next generation of professionals as a member of the development committee of the ITHQ graduate office.  

A media personality thanks to the shows Le goût de Louis, Signé M and Aide demandée, and owner of the café Chez Cheval.

A mixed bag of projects for Danny! Formerly chef-owner of Petite Maison and Auguste restaurant, Danny St-Pierre is now chef-owner of Accommodation Danny and Le Pontiac restaurant, as well as Culinary Director of La Tribu. He has been active in the media for the past ten years and currently hosts L’Addition on QUB Radio. 

In addition to his many projects, Danny also continues to be involved with the next generation as a member of the  development committee of the ITHQ graduate office.

©Andréanne Gauthier

Formerly responsible for sales in the meetings and banquets department at the InterContinental Montréal Hotel and responsible for events at the Observatoire Place Ville-Marie and at Cirque Éloize, Christian is now Marketing Manager at the Time Out Market.

Crowned Best Sommelier of the Americas in 2018, Pier-Alexis is one of the few people in the world to have earned the title of Master Sommelier before the age of 30. After working in a three-star restaurant in California, he is now a consulting sommelier and…an artisanal maple syrup producer!

Winner of Les chefs – La revanche, he is chef-owner of Miel and Rubie’s restaurants. He has also hosted the shows La Relève and Inspiration Chef on CASA and TVA.

Before the age of 30, Hugues was already Restaurant Manager at Gordon Ramsay’s two-star Michelin restaurant Le Pressoir d’Argent in Bordeaux. Now back in  Montréal, he is the restaurant manager at the Four Seasons Hotel.

General Director and founder of La Tablée des chefs, whose mission is to nurture and develop culinary education among the youth. Nearly 500,000 people benefit from the 200 tons of food recovered annually by the organization and 100 high schools have a food self-sufficiency program for their students. 

©Corinne Jamet