For the last twenty years, Nick Armstrong has established himself as a creative and dedicated chef with a desire to teach and pass along his knowledge to those wanting to learn.
Armstrong, who was born and raised in Brantford and is currently competing in the FavChef contest, discussed his beginnings in the kitchen.
“I’ve lived here my entire life here in Brantford and for the past 20 years, I’ve been cooking and becoming a chef. I started when I was in high school. I went to Assumption College…graduated in 2006…and that’s where I started my apprenticeship. I’ve pretty much only worked in independent restaurants around the city. I started my apprenticeship at a Tap and Grill, which was up in the north end…and then moved on to Callahan’s Restaurant, which was a staple in Brantford for decades. That was my first experience as a kitchen manager at the age of 21,” he said. “After it closed, I decided to get some more education. I went to school and got honors, then I found my way to the Brantford Golf & Country Club, where I was a chef. I was in charge of doing all the banquets, coming up with all the presentations and all the crew ideas for that. The club, being in the city for almost 200 years ….is one of the oldest in the country, and we’ve hosted the mayor’s gala, the hospital gala, dinners for the police officers and the firefighters, and of course many weddings along with other events.”
However, his passion started in high school when he was part of a career class.
“I am a very artistic person by nature…[and] later on, what I decided that I really liked, in particular, as being a chef and in more of a management role I like working with other people, especially the next generation of cooks, and being able to teach them, [and] show them what I was able to do. So, coming up, that was always a big thing for me. Going to school was a good foundation…but learning from other chefs around me is what got me to where I am now,” he noted. “I have also had several mentors…including Chef Matthew Boschman…he was the executive chef at the Brantford Golf & Country Club [and] worked in some of the finer dining establishments that were around in the city. He was a big influence on me and continues to be. And another big influence has been Chef Michael Bruno. He was also an executive chef at the Brantford Golf & Country Club and is now working out of the city. Both of them two said that I was one of the best banquet chefs they’ve ever worked with…and it was amazing the freedom they gave me, and trusted me in doing my job and allowing me to express myself and to excel.”
Early on, Armstrong was inspired by his grandmothers and anchors his cooking in traditional home cooked meals.
“I’ve come accustomed to pretty much any dish that I come across. But one of my biggest inspirations for cooking is my grandmother. I remember her making wholesome foods and also some delicious comfort foods. I try to inject that inspiration into whatever I make…and there’s absolutely a way, especially when I was doing the finer dining, to elevate a dish that’s traditional or a comfort food to the next level while always trying to get my personality to come through,” he noted.
Armstrong recalled a few highlights in his career, an earlier one and a more recent one at the Brantford Golf and Country Club.
“When I was in school, I got to go to Grand Delicious, which was hosted at the Civic Centre. It was an event where all these different schools, restaurants, and venues came together…and visitors had a chance to come in and sample different foods. And being part of this event really opened my eyes on how expansive and diverse the food and drink/hospitality industry is and how I had a chance to learn so much,” he said. “Another highlight was when Chef Boschman first left the club. We didn’t have an executive chef. It was my first time doing everything by myself including a Scotch tasting there, which we did every other month for years. But, I did it solo for the first time. I remember walking into the room…and usually you get a little nod and a hand tip. But, that evening…every single person in that room…which was around 200 people…stood up and gave me a standing ovation. It was totally unexpected and I was blown away by the gesture. And that, for me, drove home the belief that I could do this and do it well.”
Fast forward to 2026, Armstrong discovered the FavChef contest, providing an opportunity for him to be recognized as well as supporting an ambition of his.
“I was in this workshop [through school]….and they were inspiring us to go network, and I was trying to figure out how to get my name out there…and I stumbled across this contest…which started with around over 50,000 contestants. Despite the overwhelming amount of competition, I thought I could do it…I had a lot of photos of my dishes [which] I had prepared over the years and I was really motivated in using social media to engage people…because how it works is that each person that you know can vote once daily for free or they can make a donation to the James Beard Foundation which helps chefs establish themselves in the hospitality sector. But the prize is getting an article in a magazine, being flown over to cook with Carla Hall, the famous internet chef, as well as $25,000,” he noted. “A big inspiration for getting into this contest was a chance to mentor other aspiring chefs. In doing this workshop…I found that not everyone could take something like this…because of monetary point of view. So, I thought that by entering this content for a chance to win this prize money….would give me a chance to develop a website that I started with four different classes modeled and set up. You sign up for a reasonable fee… for two to four hours on a Zoom. This session will have around four to six people in it….it would provide practical tips for cooking at a very affordable fee. If you’re an average Joe and you only got 20 bucks to spend on a food course…you are probably going to start online. I’m going to show you how to get the best bang for your buck as a chef, and create some great dishes while having a good time and maybe also involving friends and family.”
Nevertheless, the desire to teach came from working with others in the kitchen through the years.
“I have always taken the time to help those around me….showing them an easier way to do a certain thing or helping them build their skills and confidence. I really feel good about showing people how to do something…and when I see them succeed. So, at this point of my career, I wanted to find some kind of equilibrium behind teaching people what I like to do and spreading the message [while] showing how to do things to make your life successful,” he explained. “Nobody wants to spend their entire life cooking over an oven when they got kids to feed and a job to do….and we all forget to pull the chicken out of the freezer or have to deal with coming up with dinner in the evening. So, if I can help somebody with a solution to make a good simple meal and make their lives a bit easier that’s great. That’s kind of my inspiration there.”
During the contest, Armstrong has learned many things about him and the importance of connecting with others and using social media.
“I’m a very introverted person, so it was really difficult for me to get out there and start networking. And as I started doing it…I used Facebook as an avenue in getting into a lot of groups, and would share my posts with Brantford-centric groups. I quickly saw how closely knit this community really is…and then all of a sudden, people started to notice me when I was walking around town. A lady at the cash at the grocery store recognized me and asked me if I was a chef…and that she saw me on Facebook, so she gave me a vote! It has been interesting to meet people here that have helped me and supported me. Looking back to when I started this…I could have never have imagined myself doing this in the past. But now, I want to try and take this as far as possible,” he stated. “I’m really excited to see what other avenues I can find…while posting on social media and discovering new contests to enter. I’ve also started working on YouTube videos…and doing…previews of what I’m going to do with this online initiative. So, I’m hoping to see how everything comes together, but it’s interesting how one thing stacks on top of another on social media and the response and interaction from people is really fun too.”
However, being in Brantford for his whole life, Armstrong sees the potential for more growth when it comes to hospitality.
“We have so many options available to us…because we are a city but are surrounded by farms…and so many great places to eat at and buy food from. But the city could step in and give us more venues or opportunities for people who are coming up in the hospitality sector to express themselves when the scene just seems to be flooded by franchises or restaurant chains,” he noted. “Hospitality is so much more than just cooking…and people today have access to so much great content…getting inspired…and I think they crave that interaction to find new ways to experience dining, and enjoy food. Hopefully, people will get out there and think of new ways to help others connect with food…like hosting food shows in the city and doing other events.”
As Armstrong keeps up a steady pace, making it to the quarter-finals of the contest, the journey so far has proved fruitful.
“I have been very happy with the opportunity, making it this far….and just to see the response from the community is amazing…I have been getting messages from people on Facebook…as I continue to post, new people respond or decide to vote…and then making new friends along the way. In turn, I learn about other Facebook groups, and learn new things….it has been great to be part of this online community while seeing others around in Brantford that have recognized me. But at the end of the day, being part of this contest has been a tremendous experience for me and I am looking forward to getting as far as I can get and hopefully really get my online cooking workshop to the next level to help people out there that want to show their creativity while learning the art of cooking,” Armstrong concluded.
