One of Barrie culinary sons is going to feel the heat tonight when he hosts the inaugural episode of Fire Masters on Food Network Canada.
Dylan Benoit was born in Scarborough, but his family moved to Midhurst when he was very young.
"That's where I grew up and lived in the same house just off St. Vincent, until I was 18 when I moved to the city to pursue my culinary career," Benoit told BarrieToday during a phone interview from Toronto this afternoon.
Now a "spry" 30-year-old, Benoit graduated from St. Joseph's Catholic High School on Cundles Road. From there, he was off to George Brown College's St. James campus to study culinary arts.
Fire Masters premieres tonight at 10 p.m. The grill-focused show features standalone episodes, as three chef competitors from across North America compete in two culinary challenges. The last chef standing goes head-to-head with an esteemed judge in the third round, vying for $10,000 and the title of Fire Masters champion.
Landing the Fire Masters hosting gig was just a matter of producers spotting Benoit on a casting tape.
"We were working on a project and they saw the tape and they liked it," he said. "They asked me if I'd be interested in doing Fire Masters and, of course, I was happy to get involved."
Benoit says he's looking forward to tonight's premiere.
"It's been a long time coming, so I'm very excited for tonight," he said. "I'm very excited for everyone to get to see the show that we've put a lot of time and a lot effort into, and a lot of thought and a lot of passion. There's a large amount of people that go into producing a show. We're all very proud of it and excited for everyone to see it and get on board."
Benoit grew up around food before making it his livelihood.
"My mom was a fantastic cook," he said. "We ate very well at our house growing up. As I got a little bit older, I paid a little more attention. Also I got older, I started taking over the grilling responsibilities around the house and it just kind of snowballed from there."
Benoit, who grew up on cooking shows, says it's odd to now be front and centre.
"I always used to watch Food Network Canada when I was in high school, and even elementary school, so it's kind of interesting and surreal to be featured on Food Network now and to have a show tonight," he added.
Benoit has a girlfriend, but says he's staunchly career-minded for the time being.
"It's all work. I've got a couple of businesses down in the Cayman Islands where I live now, so I'm focused on expanding those and seeing where this Fire Masters thing takes me," he said.
Since June 2010, Benoit has lived in the Cayman Islands, which is located south of Cuba and west of Jamaica.
"I was travelling through South America in 2010, doing a little back-packing trip everywhere from Colombia down to Argentina, and I was supposed to come back at the end of the trip and open a restaurant in Barrie," he said. "Things got delayed and they kind of fell through, so I'm rapidly running out of money and on a ferry trying to find out what my plan is."
Prior to his trip, Benoit said he had spoken to a chef he knew in Bracebridge who had moved to the Cayman Islands. The friend said he was re-opening a restaurant there and could use some help.
"He said, 'I'll pay for your flight, I've got a car for you to use and you've got a place to live. All you have to do is pay rent'," Benoit said. "So I figured that was kind of a no-brainer. I just thought about it for about 30 seconds and then signed a one-year contract and never really left."
While there are a lot of differences between Canadian and Cayman cuisines, Benoit says he was able to mix the two.
"The nice thing about the Caymans is it's very multicultural," he said. "There's a lot of tolerance for different kinds of food. When I first went down there, we were doing kind of an elevated French style with a Caribbean twist.
"From there, I jumped on with another company and helped them grow from one restaurant to six restaurants in four years," Benoit added. "That one was all different concepts, so I really got to flex some creative muscle.
"I was able to draw from my experience here in Canada, but also the international experience I have, which I one of the things I really like the Caymans for," Benoit said.
As a TV host, he says he draws inspiration from the other chefs.
"There's definitely tons to be learned," he said. "I'm a firm believer in we should learn from everyone around us, especially in the culinary and hospitality world. Everywhere you come from and everywhere you go, things are run and prepared a little differently.
"So, being around all these contestants and all these chefs and these judges who are absolute powerhouses in their field, it's a really awesome way to see what other people are doing and to vibe with other like-minded professionals."
It's also a great way to get "re-stoked" on food, he says.
"Not that I was ever in a funk about it, but you can't help but get reinvigorated and re-inspired when you hang out with people like that," Benoit said.
Benoit said he comes from a large family still has plenty of relatives and friends in the Barrie area, including his father, Marc, who owns a local plumbing business. They've all been behind him along the way and particularly in this latest venture.
"It's kind of cool to see one of your own up on the screen like that," said Benoit, adding he tries to return home at least a couple of times a year. "I still have strong ties and I love being up there."
