Chef Marco Zandona Wins Toronto’s Great Kitchen Party All-Star Invitational 2026
Chef Marco Zandona of Via Allegro has won gold at the 20th Anniversary Canada’s Great Kitchen Party Toronto All-Star Invitational. He will represent Toronto at the 2027 Canadian Culinary Championship in Ottawa alongside Chef of Distinction Lorenzo Loseto of George.
Held on November 5, 2026, at the Carlu, the Toronto competition brought together eight chefs for an evening of Canadian cuisine, wine pairings, and live entertainment. The event also marked a milestone year for Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, which celebrates Canadian culinary talent while raising funds for charitable causes.
Chef Marco Zandona Takes Home Gold
Chef Marco Zandona earned the gold medal with his Quail Saltimbocca. The dish featured chestnut-squash bread stuffing, foie parfait, creamy polenta, and aged balsamic–wild blueberry jus.
He paired the dish with Tawse Winery’s 2023 Pinot Noir Estate from Beamsville Bench in the Niagara Peninsula.
Chef Stuart Cameron won silver with pork and scallop served with prune, sherry, sunchoke, and black pudding pangrattato. His dish was paired with Rosehall Run Vineyard’s 2024 Tempranillo from Prince Edward County.
Chef Vinay Kumar received bronze for his seven-layer paneer terrine. It featured pepper relish, walnut-cilantro pesto, and velvety red pepper makhani sauce, paired with Fogolar Picone Vineyard’s 2022 Riesling from the Niagara Peninsula.
Kumar also won the People’s Choice Award, which was determined by votes from guests and was separate from the judges’ scores.
Toronto Heads to the Canadian Culinary Championship
The Toronto gold medal gives Zandona a place at the Canadian Culinary Championship, presented by MNP, on January 29–30, 2027, in Ottawa.
This year introduces a new format. Each regional gold medalist will be joined by a pre-selected Chef of Distinction from their city.
For Toronto, Zandona will compete alongside Chef Lorenzo Loseto, Executive Chef of George. Loseto has received recognition from the MICHELIN Guide for five consecutive years, from 2022 to 2026. He also won the 2014 Canadian Culinary Championship.
The two-chef team will represent Toronto in the national competition.
Eight Toronto Chefs Compete
The All-Star Invitational featured eight chefs, each presenting an original dish paired with a Canadian beverage.
The competing chefs and their restaurants were:
- Davide Ciavattella of Don Alfonso 1890
- Brian Kang of No Vacancy
- Vinay Kumar of Aangan
- MJ of 156 OneFiveSix
- Robbie Robinson of Riley’s Fish + Steak
- Adam Ryan of Azura
- Marco Zandona of Via Allegro
- Stuart Cameron of Bocado Restaurant
The dishes showcased a range of ingredients and cooking styles, from Ontario pork and Alberta elk to seafood, venison, and paneer.
Best of Show Wine Awards
The event also recognized three wines through its Best of Show Wine Awards. For the first time, an expert panel judged all dishes and featured wines blind.
The wine award results were:
- Gold: Two Sisters Cabernet Franc 2022, Niagara River, Ontario
- Silver: Rosehall Run Ceremony Blanc de Blancs NV, Prince Edward County, Ontario
- Bronze: The Grange of Prince Edward Winery Brut Lafontaine du Loup 2023, Prince Edward County, Ontario
The gold-medal wine will advance to the Wine of the Year competition at the Canadian Culinary Championship.
Music and Entertainment Mark the 20th Anniversary
Host Shaun Majumder entertained guests throughout the evening. The award-winning actor, writer, and producer is known for This Hour Has 22 Minutes and his current role in MGM+’s FROM.
Canadian music icons Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo and the Jim Cuddy Band, and Steven Page, formerly of Barenaked Ladies, also performed. Their sets brought guests to their feet and singing along.
Canada’s Great Kitchen Party Supports Local Communities
Canada’s Great Kitchen Party brings together chefs, musicians, business leaders, and guests to celebrate Canadian culture while supporting charitable causes.
The organization has contributed close to $20 million to charities across Canada. Funds raised at the Toronto event will support MusiCounts, Spirit North, and local food security through FoodShare.
The national championship will bring together 20 All-Star chefs from 10 Canadian cities. The competition begins with the Mystery Wine Pairing Competition on January 29, followed by the Black Box Competition and Grand Finale on January 30.
The championship will also feature an East versus West showdown. Team East will include Ottawa, St. John’s, Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg, while Team West will include Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary, and Saskatoon. The event will feature live entertainment from the Steven Page Trio.
As Canada’s Great Kitchen Party celebrates its 20th anniversary, Toronto’s winning team will head to Ottawa to compete for the national title in January 2027.
Event Details
Event: Canada’s Great Kitchen Party Toronto All-Star Invitational
Date: November 5, 2026
Venue: The Carlu, Toronto, Ontario
Gold Medalist: Chef Marco Zandona of Via Allegro
Chef of Distinction: Chef Lorenzo Loseto of George
Canadian Culinary Championship: January 29–30, 2027
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Photo credit: Canada’s Great Kitchen Party. If using the official event photos, credit Canada’s Great Kitchen Party and tag @the_prq on Instagram.
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