As Yes Shef, the celebrated culinary event spotlighting women in the food and beverage industry, gets set to make its Ontario debut on Monday, March 9, 2026 at RC Show 2026, taking place at The International Centre in Mississauga, some of Canada’s most talented women chefs are prepping to take centre stage. We caught up with one of this year’s culinary stars to talk mentorship, inspiration, and what she’s serving up at this landmark celebration of women in food and drink. —Noa Nichol
Since Yes Shef! is all about pairing established pros with the next generation of talent, if you could go back in time and cook one meal for your younger self on your first day of culinary school, what would it be?
I would make her something humble and gentle — a dish built on delicacy and subtle nuance.
When you’re young in this industry, you think you have to be loud to be seen. You think complexity equals credibility. But over time, I’ve learned that true confidence in cooking is quiet. It’s restrained. It’s deeply intentional. I would cook something intimate and personal — something that requires attention to detail, because that’s how I cook now for my guests and my team. The small calibrations. The balance of acid. The temperature that lands just right. The texture that feels considered rather than forced. I’d want her to understand that paying attention — to ingredients, to energy, to people — is the real craft. The same care I give to others now, I wish I had known to give to myself then. Mastery isn’t a spectacle. It’s presence.
Of all the signature dishes you’ve created throughout your career, which one holds the most personal story for you?
The dishes that mean the most to me are never the loudest ones. They’re the ones rooted in memory and restraint. There’s always a dish in every chapter of my career that represents a shift — a moment where I stopped cooking to prove something and started cooking to express something. Those are the plates that carry emotion. They’re layered, but not busy. They’re precise, but not rigid. For me, food is storytelling through detail. The way something is seasoned. The way it’s plated. The intention behind why it exists. When a guest feels that care — that’s the real success. You may have experienced my cooking in Canada at the myriad of kitchens I have worked in, but more importantly, you can taste that philosophy in how I build flavor: thoughtful, balanced, and deeply considered.
What’s the one song or album guaranteed to be playing in your kitchen on a busy Friday night?
The kitchen runs on rhythm. Service is choreography. Am’s start with classical, shifting to Jazz, Ambient vibes, shifting to Funk, Disco and Vibes.
After a long night of hosting tasting stations and mentoring students, what is your ultimate no-judgment comfort food?
Something simple. Something nostalgic. Something that doesn’t require performance. Late-night pasta with too much butter and Parm. Or a perfectly made grilled cheese. When you cook at a high level professionally, comfort food becomes about softness. It’s the moment you allow yourself to be taken care of, even if you’re the one doing the cooking. There’s something beautiful about returning to simplicity after executing complexity.
You are doing incredible work for women in hospitality — where can readers follow your journey?
You can follow my journey on Instagram at @chefcharlottelangley, @langleyfoods and at langleyfoods.ca Yes Shef is especially meaningful to me because it embodies everything I believe about this industry: mentorship, visibility, and real investment in the next generation. Women are still underrepresented in culinary leadership. Yes Shef doesn’t just celebrate women — it creates infrastructure. Mentorship changed my trajectory. Now I get to be part of shaping someone else’s.
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