Andre Sanche's Classification

Amanda is excited that Andre accepted the invitation to Rotary and thinks he's a great fit for the Club and an addition to the community and she welcomed him to the podium.  He said he did have some cute pictures and he showed them to us - his parents Ron and Lynne in Elliott Lake who taught him to go for his dream, for what makes him happy.  He's the middle of three.  He did well in High School and went to Ottawa U with expectations following him so he took theatre to leave them behind but hated it - class full of drama queens - and left after one semester and moved into Commerce which he finished and which led to a job in an office which he also hated.  At 24 he went back to school - Algonquin College - to take food.  This has resulted in a career and a lifestyle.

During school he had different jobs - in a bistro, in restaurants, as a catering chef part time but the person he was working under and whose maternity leave he was going to fill left earlier than planned leaving him to move to full time while still studying for his finals.  He had two days off all summer and slept.  After 10 years he enjoys it all and looks back on the transition from a job he hated to one he loves.

His move to Midland has been perfect - he has found friends, he works with foods and he has a life and a lifestyle he loves.  Midland is close enough to the City to visit but not to be overwhelmed and it's on the way to Elliott Lake when it's time to go that way.  Here is now his home and he feels he belongs here.  This is partly why he joined Rotary - because of the commitment to community and the values of giving back.

He was doing well in Ottawa as the Culinary Manager for a combination store/restaurant but thought he should be working for himself so when he came here he started small and with his own vision.  But as he listened to his customers his vision has changed - he didn't want a restaurant but they said they needed a place to sit and then they needed a wider menu and then they needed a beer so now he has a license, does beer tastings, has hosted the first back alley BBQ and on and on.

The thrust now is to Building Community Through Food - using food to better people's lives.  50 cents of every pint goes to Charity.  He's teaching cooking at elementary schools and tries to teach eating well, especially if they are on a budget.  He gives the CLH Auction a dinner for 10 and last year that sold for $2,500.00.  

In answer to a question he says he doesn't focus on organic because it's more a label, instead he tries to go local and to know his suppliers.  Now farmers are coming to him and bringing stuff he wouldn't have thought of but his team can take it and create something.

The name in English would be Chives and Co. but it refers, in French, to the herb and also to a character in a play.