About Our Judges

Rita Demontis, Lifestyle and Food Editor, Toronto SUN & National Food Editor, SUN MEDIA

Rita DeMontis is an award-winning writer who has been with the Toronto SUN newspaper for more than 36 years, where she currently resides as the resident local Lifestyle and Food editor as well as National Food Editor for the SUN MEDIA chain. She has a weekend radio spot on Newstalk 1010 and has appeared regularly on television, including CITY-TV’S Breakfast Television, Global TV, CTV Canada AM, CH-TV, OMNI and Telelatino. Rita has appeared on CityLine, Food Network and Restaurant Makeover and also hosted an 80-episode national cooking show called CUCINAetc. She has freelanced for several national magazines, including Canadian Living and Partners Magazine.

Signe Langford, Associate Editor & Food Director, Sweat Equity Magazine

Signe Langford is a recovering vegetarian who’s making up for lost time. She’s a writer, chef, photographer, food stylist, and restaurant critic. She loves wine, snacks, and gardening in equal measure. She shares her Toronto Victorian cottage with two budgies and a rescued chihuahua with issues.

Rebecca LeHeup, Executive Director, OCTA

Rebecca is lucky in her role as ED for the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA) as it feeds her passion for the interrelation between food, agriculture, tourism, arts and culture. Rebecca was instrumental in developing tourism products including Prince Edward County’s Taste Trail, TASTE! a celebration of regional cuisine, the Arts Trail, Countylicious, and Harvestin’ the County.

She’s developed courses for George Brown College’s cutting edge Culinary Tourism Management program and co-publishes the Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide in partnership with CityBites Magazine. Rebecca is a guest blogger on Huffington Post Canada and you can follow her on Twitter @OntarioCulinary.

Reginald Pearce, Chef & Director of Culinary Operations, Sodexo Canada

Reg has been with Sodexo Canada for the past 35 years; assuming the role of Corporate Chef nine years ago. As part of his role Reg has been the Executive Chef for numerous world sporting events including the 1994 Commonwealth Games and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Athletes Village. He was also a Team Member for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. Reg founded Sodexo’s Chef Association which mentors Sodexo Chefs and supports their career development. He is also a member of Sodexo’s global Culinary Council. Reg resides in Gananoque, Ontario and owns and works a 70 acre farm.

John Placko, Chef, Culinary Consultant

John has worked for the past 17 years with various organizations; Cara Operations Ltd., Prime Restaurants Inc., Campbell Company of Canada and most recently at Maple Leaf Foods. John’s passion lies in the culinary evolution most commonly known as molecular gastronomy and over the past six years has been invited to present, demonstrate and teach this modern cuisine to numerous culinary groups including Humber, Liaison, and George Brown Colleges. His articles can be found frequently in Food and Hospitality magazine as well as Food in Canada magazine and he has recently set up a consulting service, John Placko Culinary Consulting as well as Modern Culinary Academy, to promote the awareness and education of molecular gastronomy.

Ted Reader, Chef, Food Entertainer

The open flame is a part of Teddy’s soul. He uses over 100 barbecues, grills and smokers to create knee-weakening recipes and helps turn novice BBQers into master grillers. He likes simple ingredients, easy-to-follow instructions and lots and lots of fire. Charming, spirited and completely fearless in front of the fire, the ‘Crazy Canuck Barbecue Kingpin’ (as GQ Magazine calls him) is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the grill – especially so after grilling a world record-breaking 590-pound burger in Yonge and Dundas Square in Toronto. Ted’s latest barbecue bibles are Beerlicious: The Art of Grillin’ and Chillin’ and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Smoking Foods.

Emily Richards, P.H.Ec., TV personality

Emily’s newest cookbook “Get in The Kitchen and COOK!” will get you in the kitchen preparing recipes quickly so you can enjoy time with your family and friends. The book will help families enjoy weeknight meals and also bring the casual kitchen entertaining experience with friends to homes across the country. Emily continues to appear across the country presenting recipes, easy cooking and entertaining ideas, always promoting her passion for food and inspiring people to get in their kitchens and cook!

Check out what Emily’s up to by visiting her website at www.emilyrichardscooks.ca or check out her blog at emilyrichardsoncooking.blogspot.com and follow her on twitter @ERiscooking. 

Annabelle Waugh, Food Director, Canadian Living

Annabelle Waugh has been working in Canada’s top test kitchens for more than a decade. After graduating from chef school at George Brown College in Toronto, she rounded out her skills at several restaurants, both as a line cook and as a pastry chef. Eventually, she landed her first job in editorial – as a recipe developer and tester in The Canadian Living Test Kitchen. After nearly six years of honing her cooking and food writing skills at Canadian Living, Annabelle left to pursue a freelance career, working for several different publications as a recipe developer, editor and on-set television food consultant. She returned to Canadian Living as Food Director in 2010.