The Local Food Paradox, Taxing Joy and Guest Chuck Hughes, Celebrity Chef, Restauranteur, Entrepreneur

Welcome to the latest episode of "The Food Professor" podcast! In today's interview, we have the pleasure of hosting the renowned chef and entertainer Chuck Hughes, who shares his insights on various aspects of his career and the restaurant, food entertainment and product retail industry.

Chuck begins by introducing himself and discussing his background as a chef. The conversation then delves into the impact of COVID-19 on the restaurant business.

We then shift the conversation toward celebrity chefs' rise and influence on consumer expectations. Chuck reflects on the evolving landscape of cooking shows and its impact on the perception of chefs as creative professionals. The hosts also explore the challenges of attracting talent to the restaurant industry, drawing on Chuck's experience finding the right people for his team.

Moving forward, Chuck shares his journey in developing consumables and branded product lines at Hudson's Bay. He reveals the surprises and lessons he learned as a vendor in the retail industry and provides insights into what lies ahead for his product line.

Before concluding the interview, Chuck offers advice for aspiring chefs and emphasizes two important actions to take and one to avoid. He then reflects on his past experiences and contemplates what he might have done differently given the knowledge he possesses today.

To wrap up, the hosts inquire about Chuck's plans and what exciting endeavours he has in store. This fascinating conversation provides listeners with a comprehensive view of Chuck Hughes' multifaceted career and offers valuable insights into the ever-evolving culinary world.

In the news, we look at the latest study from Sylvain and his co-authors, The Local Food Paradox: A Second Study of Local Food Affordability in Canada, and discuss the surprising results.   Sylvain's spidey senses are tingling, and we talk about Danone's boss's calls for higher taxes on unhealthy food (https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65872962) and the merits of government intervention on subjectively (or objectively) harmful food products. 

Join me in donating to the Nova Scotia Canadian Red Cross forest fire relief fund here.

 

About Chuck

Chuck is the co-owner and executive chef of Montreal hot-spot Garde Manger. He is also the talented star of such shows as Chuck’s Day Off, Chuck’s Week Off, Chuck’s Eat the Street and Chuck & Danny’s Road Trip. His unbridled passion for entertaining translates into both memorable food and captivating television.

After going to culinary school and working in some of Montreal’s best restaurants, he partnered with his two best friends and opened Garde Manger to rave reviews and packed seating. Since 2010, Chuck and the team at Crown Salts cater the VIP Artist World at Osheaga, Montreal’s renowned 3- day music and arts festival. Every year Chuck and his team create an unforgettable dining experience for the over 100 appearing bands at the festival.

Some of the other highlights of Chuck’s celebrity cooking career include becoming the youngest Canadian chef to win on Iron Chef America; starring with nine other celebrity chefs on The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs; joining an all-star panel of judges on Chopped Canada and starring in five Quebec series À couteaux tirés, La

 

Relève, Le monde selon Chuck, L’atelier culinaire, and Bienvenue chez Chuck. He also produced two best- selling cookbooks for Harper Collins Canada, “Garde Manger” and “Chuck’s Day Off.” In 2015, he launched a line of highly anticipated food products. My Kitchen Staples are delicious essential items such as olive oils, vinegars, cocktail sauce, maple syrup and antipastos that Chuck uses in both his restaurants and at home. My Kitchen Staples are currently available in stores across Canada. Go to www.chuckhughes.ca to find the nearest one.

Most recently Chuck launched a cookware line exclusively with The Bay, available in stores now.

Chuck is currently in production of his fourth season of Chuck and the First People’s Kitchen on APTN and working on his third cookbook for fall 2023.

Website: www.chuckhughes.ca,

FB: https://www.facebook.com/ChefChuckHughes

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chefchuckhughes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefchuckhughes/

 

About Us

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.

He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.

Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.

 

About Michael

Michael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery.   

Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. 

Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. 

Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. 

Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America

About Us

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.

Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. 

He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. 

Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.

With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues.

 Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast.  He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.