The art of travel these days extends far beyond checking off sights on a bucket list. Visitors are looking for experiences that entice, challenge and immerse. As the world becomes ever closer thanks to technology and the ease of transportation, real life and experiencing local culture are merging into a new type of adventure with endless possibilities.
This new era of travel allows us to challenge our world and ourselves. You can join a charity project in Africa, learning from the locals as you effect change, or you can throw off one career in pursuit of another. Looking for a career change and place to explore your passion? What better way to reorient your life than in a different city or country? Work remotely or explore a culture through the eyes of locals. Rent an Airbnb and live in a real neighborhood rather than a tourist hotel. After all, the sky is the limit!
One institution that is helping people transition careers is Le Cordon Bleu, with its immersive culinary programs at campuses around the world. The beautiful campus in Ottawa, Canada welcomes students from every corner of the globe.
Stories of careers in transition abound at Le Cordon Bleu, like that of Denise Marchessault, who went from running a design and import business to a career in the culinary arts and has never looked back. Faced with the decision to expand her successful business and commit her life fully to something she was less than passionate about, Marchessault found herself at a crossroads. She says, “People thought I was crazy. But cooking was the most enjoyable part of my life.” Though she had young twin daughters, she could not ignore what her heart told her, and she took the plunge into a completely different world 400 kilometers away.
A native of Vancouver Island who had lived for much of her adult life in Toronto, Marchessault was unfamiliar with Ottawa. She is not the only one. Canada’s capital city may not be on the tips of every visitor’s tongue compared to Montreal or Quebec City, but this dynamic city of over a million is a destination. Visitors can immerse themselves in Canadian art and history at the city’s national museums or watch the changing of the guard on Parliament Hill. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Rideau Canal transforms in winter into the world’s largest outdoor ice skating ring.
The Le Cordon Bleu campus is another of the city’s treasures. The school’s history dates to 1988 when it became the first international expansion outside of Europe. In 2000, the school relocated to the historic Munross Mansion, which dates all the way back to 1874. Carefully restored, the building today holds the school’s teaching kitchens as well as the Le Cordon Bleu Signatures Restaurant.
While the program was intense, weekends allowed Marchessault to explore the city with her family, who would fly in to see her. “Ottawa is steeped in history and it was great fun to explore the Parliament buildings and museums when my family was visiting,” she says. Another of her favorites tops the list of city attractions, the ByWard Market. Laid out by Lt-Col John By in 1826, who also built the Rideau Canal, this hub for local farmers and artisans draws crowds no matter the time of year. Marchessault highly recommends the market as a “fantastic place to take food lovers” and spent a lot of time there, whether dining or buying ingredients for cooking projects.
Though she had no professional cooking experience, unlike the other students, she feels like she eventually “found her tribe” and gained the confidence to pursue a career in food. Unable to decide between savory and pastry, she studied both – the most intense path – and graduated with Le Grande Diplôme.
She returned to British Columbia and decided to share her experiences with the locals by building a pastry kitchen. The kitchen became a cooking school and community hub called French Mint. In 2016, she published her first cookbook, British Columbia From Scratch (Whitecap Books), a cookbook that celebrates the bounty of her home province.
Today, the culinary dreams of others fuel her. She says, “I now have the privilege of helping other women pursue their culinary dreams through scholarship fundraising with Les Dames d’Escoffier, BC Chapter.”
Meet Denise Marchessault
Denise Marchessault is a native British Columbian, born in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. Classically trained in French cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa, Denise holds the Grand Diplôme, one of the few culinary designations that signifies mastery of both pastry and culinary fundamentals. Her cookbook, British Columbia From Scratch (Whitecap Books), celebrates the bounty of her province and the joy of cooking from scratch.
