CHEFS OF THE KAWARTHAS

By Karen Irvine Editor, ATOTK

JUNIOR WRAY

I met up with Junior Wray at The Cat & Fiddle in Lindsay. He is a Red Seal Chef and his enthusiasm for life is contagious.

Junior realized he wanted to be a Chef while growing up in Jamaica at the young age of 8 helping his Grandma in the kitchen.

He went to culinary school in Jamaica at the Heart Trust School for 3 ½ years, and also at Brownstown Community College. In 2010 Junior left Jamaica. He was working at the Jamaican Grand when a guest offered him a job in the Kawarthas. He fell in love with the area. “I really like it here because it’s small, quiet towns. Where I come from in Jamaica it’s the same. So it didn’t take me long to adjust, and I love it here.”

He worked at a local restaurant for 2 years. After that, Junior took a job as Head Chef at The Cat & Fiddle Lindsay. He has always wanted to work with kids with disabilities, so he took a break from that to cook at a children’s camp for 4 years. “Working at the camp was awesome. The kids would tell me how much they appreciated my cooking. It’s a good feeling.” After that, Junior went back to The Cat and Fiddle and plans to stay there for the long run.

His specialty is Jamaican and, surprisingly, Italian. “I fell in love with Italian style cooking because they cook from scratch. Italians cook with a lot of passion,” he says. Junior’s favourite meal is Jamaican seafood and curried goat. He says, “It makes me feel at home.”

Life has changed with Covid Protocols. “You can’t do as much as you’d like, but we take it one day at a time. We decided to do takeout until we could open inside:, he says. With Stage 3 opening, Junior can once again enjoy cooking to the fullest.

Junior summed up the interview, saying, “My passion never changes, it never fades. I get excited when I get in the kitchen. I can’t stop cooking, because it’s my life, it’s what I do.”

Grilled Salmon

Chicken Mango Avacado garlic dill butter Salad Braised Oxtail