He started in his career washing dishes in restaurants, now he’s Executive Chef at the University of Northern BC.
“I’ve been cooking since I was 17 and I’m 39 now so I've been cooking for over half my life,” Skylar Dennis, member of Stellaten First Nations, said. “At the beginning I was doing it on and off but I kind of realized that I liked being in the kitchen.”
Dennis first trained in the Smokehouse Kitchen at the Prince George Native Friendship Centre.
“That’s where I decided I liked it and from there found my way into a few jobs,” Dennis said. “Starting out as a dishwashing I worked my up to line cook. From there I got my professional cook 1 and 2 at CNC and after that I went into pubs for about five years. Pretty much as a sous chef because of my training – I had a good foundation. I went up to the university and worked for seven years and this year was the year that I applied to become chef.”
Throughout his time at the university he worked almost every station.
“It was a lot of fun,” Dennis said.
He did leave the university for a short time and when he left he spent about two years at the St. Vincent de Paul Society Drop In Centre where those in need are fed three meals a day.
“That was pretty much a black box – I had to work with whatever people were donating,” Dennis said. “So it was a lot of fun. I thought alright I can do this with that and I can make this with what's on hand. There are a lot of generous people in Prince George.”
After the St. Vincent de Paul Society chef returned from medical leave, Dennis returned to where he was first trained, the Native Friendship Centre.
“I was helping out kids like myself when I first went there,” Dennis said. “It felt good because that’s where I started. And I thought alright, I’m going to teach these kids everything I learned along my journey and it was a lot of fun and it was a good step up because I was helping train, helping with scheduling, helping the students learn how to cook under pressure without sacrificing quality over speed or speed for quality. You can do both. It’s definitely been a journey.”
Dennis started as executive chef at UNBC on Sept. 26, so it’s still pretty new and his mother Dianne Dennis is so very proud of her son.
"I am extremely proud of his determination and hard work," Dianne said about her son in an email. “Skylar is dedicated and particular in everything he does. Single father of his two sons and provider for a total of four children altogether and a just a perfect dad who loves his kids who come first in his life.”
This is Dennis's first time taking on such a big role as head chef.
"And I am jumping into such a big pool because it’s not just the restaurant, it’s the whole university,” Dennis said. “So there’s a lot of pressure. There are a lot of kids on the meal plan, and there’s catering and just learning how to juggle that and the learning curve and cooking. I have been a single dad for a while and now they are full grown and both graduated.”
Higher education is important to Dennis and the goal is to get his sons where they need to be. Dennis’s younger son has a disability so education looks a little bit different for him but Dennis is determined to help get him there.
“It’s quite the process to try and support my sons and work a 10 hour day but it works and I get it done,” Dennis said. “It’s just about managing time and hoping for the best. It took a long time to get here, a lot of hard work and it’s worth it.”
Chicken Wrap
This is an easy-to-share recipe and is one of Executive Chef Skylar Dennis’s favourites.
Start with your choice of 12 inch tortilla wrap, then drizzle desired amount of Thai sweet chili sauce, add some shredded cheese and carrots with some peppers, lettuce, and 2 or 3 crispy bacon and chicken strips, wrap and enjoy.
“Your taste buds will dance and sing,” Dennis laughed.
