Local chef among top 10 in favourite chef competition

When Kyle Mullins found out about Food Network personality Carla Hall's Favourite Chef competition, he decided to throw his chef hat in the ring to see what happened.

Mullins, who works at Chef D's Cafe inside the Challenger Motor Freight facility on Maple Grove Road, didn't know what to expect when he entered his name.

Now, Mullins is in the top 10 of all entries, currently sitting ninth, as the fourth round of voting is set to close tonight.

The winner will be featured on the cover of Taste of Home magazine, receives $25,000 and an opportunity to cook with Hall.

"At first I thought I signed up too late, so I didn't think I was going to get out of the first round," Mullins said.

"I got out of the first round. Lo and behold I got out of the second round."

While the Guelph resident doesn't think he'll make it on to the top 5, he's been overwhelmed by the backing he's received from the community.

"The support has been fantastic through friends, the city and the people here," he said.

"It's been incredible, I'm a little shocked actually. It keeps me going and it keeps me wanting to do better and push myself even further."

Mullins has been involved in the culinary field since a young age, having started working at a restaurant with his friends in his early life.

From there, he moved to Northern Ireland and had the opportunity to cook for the band R.E.M., of whom he's a big fan.

When he returned to Canada he dabbled in various cooking jobs but eventually chose a different path with stops in construction and the automotive field.

After some time working at Magna International, he realized he missed being in the kitchen and decided to go back to school for culinary at Liason College, now known as Top Toques Institute of Culinary Excellence, in Kitchener.

Since then, he's never looked back and continues to perfect his craft.

"I love being able to create something that people love here," Mullins said of working at Challenger.

"The diversity is a big thing. Diversity actually got me back into cooking. I love classical cooking, making old French food."

If he were to find a way to win the competition, Mullins would like to open his own cafe and bistro.

As a saucier by trade, he'd also love to get back into the art of jarring sauces, stocks and soups.

"I'd do my own jarring and sell my own soups out of the bistro cafe," he said.

"That would be the ultimate goal but the secondary goal is getting into jarring sauces and soups on the side."

Voting can be done at favechef.com.

The top five will be announced on June 20.