John Horton is hard to miss around campus in his red Dining Services uniform and chef’s hat.
Horton is the executive chef of Dining Services. Other chefs around campus serve food; Horton is the one who trains them for cooking.
In 30 years of cooking, Horton says he has been promoted from cook to sous chef, and now to executive chef.
He says he worked at Carleton 25 years ago as a cook. After experiencing several other jobs, he has returned to Carleton, sitting in the highest chef position and working seven days a week.
Horton says he began his career cooking for a private restaurant in his hometown of Brockville, Ont., when he was 18. He did an apprenticeship at Toronto’s George Brown College and got chances to work in different restaurants and hotels.
After 17 years of making food in the airline business, Horton says he decided to apply for the executive chef’s position at Carleton.
Horton says one of the things he values most about his job is the satisfaction seeing customers enjoying the food. He also enjoys the process of making food; he says he considers himself “an artist” while cooking.
“Cooking is a way of art. Instead of painting on paper, we’re presenting on a plate. And you have to do it by yourself,” says Horton.
Horton says he loves making foods from different cultures, especially seafood and fish. He says he is proud of a gold medal he won at a cooking competition in Niagara, Ont. for making Asian seafood.
When he isn’t in the kitchen, Horton enjoys fishing and goes to fishing competitions several times a year.
Asian food is one of many different culinary styles Horton serves up.
“In the past, lots of cooking was based on French cuisine. But now Canada presents a fusion of food choices due to its multiculturalism,” he says.
Horton also applies this understanding to Carleton Dining Services.
“Here in the university, we have students coming from all different cultural backgrounds. You can find Mexican, Indian, Greek . . . all kinds of foods in Fresh Food Company, [the cafeteria in Residence Commons].”
Behind the artistic plates, cooking can be hazardous, using fire and sharp knives. Horton says he’s careful about job safety, both for himself and his staff.
“I have cut and burned myself before. In 30 years it happens. But now I still have all my fingers,” Horton says, shaking his hands and laughing.
As an executive chef, Horton’s job is to run day-to-day operations such as composing menus, scheduling, training staff and handing customer satisfaction. He also runs a “Fresh Food Company tour and lunch” program, in which he takes people around the dining hall and shows them what Carleton Dining Services do.
Horton says he receives a lot of feedback from the thousands of people who eat at Carleton’s Dining Services restaurants each day. He responds either directly or via email.
“Some come to ask questions about food allergies and special diets. Others request for changing menus,” Horton says. “Again, we are in a multicultural society. If you are Asian, you’d like more Asian foods.”
According to Horton, feedback about Carleton Dining Services has been generally positive. But there are still complaints about the large volume of people who come through the dining hall. This also forces cooks to rush food preparation.
When his work is done for the day, Horton drives all the way home to Maxville, an hour west of Ottawa, and cooks for family.