About — The Chef Collective

the Chef Collective

A CULINARY BATTLE! FOR CHEFS. BY CHEFS

Introducing
the Chef Collective

Founded by Chef Joe Friday in 2013, The Chef Collective is a chef-driven organization that hosts live culinary battles at local restaurants in cities across North America that challenge the industry's best chefs.

For every black box battle, chef competitors create two signature dishes featuring the SECRET ingredient, in one hour to be judged by a panel of industry experts on taste, originality, use of star ingredient and presentation for the chance to win the title and prizes.

Meet the HOST

MEET CHEF
JOE FRIDAY

Chef Joe Friday is an acclaimed chef, restaurateur and entrepreneur, currently based in Toronto. Born in North Carolina, raised in Japan, and trained in French Cuisine, Chef Joe graduated top of the class in Restaurant Management from The Culinary Institute of America in New York. He started his culinary career at the age of 20 as one of 10 individuals invited to train at Walt Disney World’s culinary program. He then worked across Europe, Asia and the U.S., including staging with Thomas Keller at French Laundry, working as a Saucier Nobu in Honolulu, and as the Executive Sous Chef at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
In 2011, Chef Joe moved to Canada to be part of the opening team for Peter Oliver and Michael Bonacini’s Luma at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. He then joined the team that opened Bar Mozza (now closed) and became part owner and Executive Chef of ViaVai (now closed). In 2013, Chef Joe Friday founded The Chef Collective, a chef driven organization committed to supporting local and worldwide chefs by providing them with a platform to showcase their talents through live culinary battles. In 2016, Chef Joe brought his love for Hawaiian cuisine to Toronto, and opened, as part owner and chef, the popular quick service poké restaurant Calii Love. In 2019, Chef Joe opened Friday Roots, a soul food restaurant in Toronto, which marked a return to his North Carolina roots with a menu featuring treasured family recipes.

The Competitors

The Chef Collective culinary battles are open to emerging chefs in the featured competition city that are ready to sharpen their knives for the chance to be crowned the best of the best.

MEET RECENT COMPETITOR: CHEF SAMANTHA MEDEIROS

The JUDGES

Chefs. Food influencers. Culinary critics. Local celebrities. The panel of judges are hand selected by The Chef Collective based on their expertise and palates. After all, they hold the powder for crowning The Chef Collective’s champions.