Jon Rennie
Canadian Guest Chef
Jon Rennie has spent 20+ years cooking in restaurants in Waterloo region. As a constant, he has had the pursuit of flavour in mind throughout his life. Always striving to be better, this mentality has taken a drastic switch in focus to mental health (especially in the industry), sustainability beyond food sourcing to his coworkers and their lives, and bettering industry environments wherever he can. Jon has spent the last few years raising money and awareness for hospitality-specific mental health supports through @restforrestaurants while taking time away to recuperate from a stressful career and to learn whole animal butchery.
Turning his focus back to restaurants and tossing aside “the way it’s always been,” Jon and his closest friend Wes Klassen along with Rob Corrigan have set their sights on a restaurant as both social enterprise and a “community first, restaurant second” mentality. Their anticipated 2022 opening of BOX Wine and Provisions will be a reimagined way of running a restaurant, an inclusive and safer space, no tipping, thriving wages and a place that heavily encourages collaboration. The inspiration for the food in this venture is based on starting with the wines and building on already incredible products. The life’s work of a family. And to accentuate these through the expression of the dishes.
Photo: Terry Manzo