Alistair Barnes is a chef in the classical European tradition. He started out as a young boy wanting to be a chef. At the earliest chance (he was 13) he began his apprenticeship at a large hotel called the Grand Hotel. After doing the traditional three year apprenticeship working six days a week and going to culinary school on his day off Barnes got his basic qualification as a commis* chef. After stints in Switzerland and France he immigrated to Canada at the age of 23 to work at a Four Seasons Hotel. His career with Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts began in 1986. In his current position Barnes oversees the commissary operations for CRMR, consults with chefs and deals with product sourcing and he says that his passion for food remains undiminished.
When it comes to his personal philosophy about food Chef Barnes says, "I have a traditional background so I like doing things from scratch and buying as little as possible when it comes to pre-made food. I like to keep things to their true flavours, not overcomplicated dishes and giving good value for money while presenting something a bit different to our clients."
Working for CRMR has given Barnes a chance to indulge his passion for natural, local ingredients. He explains, "As a company we tend to do things like raising our own animals on our game farm, making our own bread and our own desserts, sourcing out as much as possible natural ingredients and getting to know where the product comes from, how it's produced, and how it's raised."
While Chef Barnes enjoys the easy access to game meats at CRMR he explains the challenges inherent in working with game from the CRMR ranch. He says, "Using the whole carcass is a big challenge because there's never enough primal cuts (the tenderloin, striploin, ribeye) We do a lot of product in conjunction with some of our neighbours like Valbella Meats in Canmore. They do pastrami, salami and cured meats. It's about incorporating these products and using the whole animal."
The chef explains that they even use products like the animal's hides for menu covers and the antler velvet which is used in traditional Asian medicine.
Seasonality and Freshness
Seasonality is a big part of the CRMR ethos. Barnes says, "The chefs generally create the menus with me and they know they have a free hand with it but they know the style we have of locally produced, regional cuisine. We'll look at it seasonally and in the winter we'll perhaps go a little heavier on our dishes with more braises and more substantial dishes. In the summer I'd tend to go a little lighter with Oceanwise fish on the menu and more of the primal cuts on the grill."'
As Chef Barnes' role has changed within CRMR he says it remains interesting. Barnes points out, "My job now is more administration but I do get to go and cook at certain functions which is more fulfilling for me. I've been at it 40 years so I don't think I could work six days a week at the stove any more. It's a nice mix working harmoniously with the owners to achieve their goals and being a sounding board for the chefs."
A good restaurant can't work without good ingredients. Sourcing product is part of Barnes' role at CRMR and he says, "It is important that we know where our product is coming from and that our producers are able to supply us with what is proper and with a quality product. When we order something we need to get it even to our more remote sites. Quality is very important. We can deal with costs because that's included in our menu."
Food, Family and Teaching Moments
Outside of his restaurant role Chef Barnes says he enjoys cooking for his family. He says, "Personally, I do cook at home for my family and I always use fresh ingredients that are readily available pretty much everywhere in Alberta.I enjoy barbecuing and grilling and in the winter I just like to throw casseroles into the oven and just let them do their own thing with the scents that you get out of that which just creates an appetite."
Another important component of being a chef is educating people about food and cooking. Barnes says, "I think it's a huge challenge for everybody. People have less time now apparently. We need to educate people on how to cook basic food and stay healthy and not just live off fast food. I think it could be a tremendous thing to do to educate people on healthier food options and simple ways to prepare food. It should be a standard thing to do."
Despite working in the industry for many years Chef Barnes says he remains passionate. He explains, "Well I think every day is different and it's never mundane. You're always creating and you deal with a wide spectrum of different people and characters in our industry and that's always interesting. I'm still passionate about food, I love food and when I think back about what other career choice I should have made I'm happy with the path that I went down."
For more information please visit: http://www.crmr.com
This interview was conducted with Chef Alistair Barnes on Wed., Oct. 12 via telephone.
*A commis is an apprentice chef working under the main chef.
