TOP CHEF CANADA WINNER MATTHEW STOWE JOINS JOSEPH RICHARD GROUP

Surrey, BC (Tuesday, September 27, 2016): The Joseph Richard Group (JRG), one of British Columbia’s fastest growing food, beverage and entertainment organizations, today announced that Chef Matthew Stowe has joined the company as Director of Culinary Operations.  Stowe, who won Top Chef Canada in 2013, is one of Canada’s most talented chefs and comes to the company with 18 years of experience in some of the best known kitchens in North America.

After graduating from New York’s famed Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Stowe developed his craft at New York’s legendary French restaurant, Lutece. He returned to BC in 2004 to become Executive Chef of Sonora Resort, where he played an integral role in the resort achieving the coveted Relais & Chateaux designation. While there, he also wrote his award-winning The Tastes of Sonora Resort cookbook, which highlighted his signature dishes at the world famous coastal resort.  Prior to joining JRG, Stowe was the Product Development Chef and a Gold Medal Plates competition winner with Cactus Club Café.

JRG was created by Surrey, BC natives Andre “Joseph” Bourque and Ryan “Richard” Moreno. Friends since elementary school, they started as bartenders before opening their first club venue in 2002. Since starting JRG in 2011, the pair have used their real estate acumen and commitment to hospitality excellence to grow JRG to an impressive collection of 18 public houses, restaurants, night clubs and liquor retail outlets. By December this year, Bourque and Moreno will have opened six new establishments over the past 12 months. The pair have also expanded into Alberta and have four more establishments in the planning stages.

“I’m excited to join the Joseph Richard Group with its growing range of pub and restaurant concepts,” said Chef Stowe. “The variety of operations means there’s plenty of room for creativity, something I want us to excel at going forward.

“Whether it’s a diverse Asian menu at Sudo Asian Kitchen (opening Spring 2017), steaks and seafood at S+L Kitchen and Bar, or pub fare, these are very exciting times at JRG and I look forward to being part of it all as we continue to build and grow our brands.”

JRG CEO Ryan Moreno said the addition of Stowe to the team will elevate the guest experience at every JRG establishment and go a long way to taking new ideas and opportunities off the drawing board and turning them into reality.

“Matthew’s experience, creativity and skill in the kitchen add depth and another dimension to our growing JRG team,” explained Moreno. “When you see him cook, create a menu, or run a kitchen, it’s easy to see why he won Top Chef Canada, and why we want him leading our culinary team across the company.”

As Director of Culinary Operations at JRG, Stowe will develop and maintain the food and beverage vision for all Joseph Richard Group establishments. He will also work with the entire JRG culinary team to ensure a standard of excellence for each establishment and their guests.

Moreno added that while Stowe will work across all of JRG’s operations, his immediate focus will be on refining the menu and leading the team at all S+L Kitchen & Bar locations, including the Langley location, which includes MasterChef Canada winner David Jorge, and the soon to be open locations in Abbotsford and South Surrey. In addition to working with JRG’s current brands and culinary team, Stowe also plans to partner with the company to open his own chef-driven concept in the Fraser Valley sometime in 2017.

Press Contact:

Jared Harman
Joseph Richard Group
C: 604.561.5573
jared jrgvancouver.ca