Suzanne Barr
Chef, Author, Restaurateur
Suzanne Barr is one of North America's most respected chefs, with a signature flair for Afro Caribbean comfort food. She is the Head Chef and Owner at True True Diner in Toronto; owner of Saturday Dinette; and holds residencies at the Gladstone hotel and the Sand and Pearl Oyster Bar in Prince Edward County. Suzanne has dedicated her culinary career to social advocacy and was awarded the 2021 Social Advocate of the Year Award from Restaurants Canada.
Suzanne recognized the significance of food from an early age, growing up in a household with two novice chefs where preparing every meal was an opportunity to bond as a family, learn about cultural roots, tell stories and express love. Across her career, she has found new ways to innovate in the culinary space to help address community issues including sustainability, food security, and nutrition literacy. She is also the author of My Ackee Tree: A Chef's Memoir of Finding Home in the Kitchen.
Suzanne's food philosophy is to create highly nutritious, flavourful and comforting food with ingredients that are accessible and all in an elevated way to make the ordinary surprisingly extraordinary. She's thrilled to share her expertise and passion to inspire other chefs to add creativity, personality and innovation to traditional recipes.