3 Students Sitting and Laughing

Success Stories

Matthew Batay

CCC Executive Chef at The Nash Restaurant and OFF CUT BAR

"… My own success has been a combination of many factors, one of the most significant being the opportunities and belief in me by the instructors."

Chef Batey graduated from VIU Culinary Program (1998) with an Instructors' Gold Medal; he apprenticed at The Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, and then spent a highly successful stint as part of Culinary Team Alberta and Canada, competing in various international competitions while part of the brigade at Catch Restaurant under the mentorship of Chef Michael Noble. His culinary journey took him next to the famed kitchen of Chef Bruno Marti. Chef Matthew Batey has since returned to Calgary in 2014 to head the kitchen of Noble's latest project The Nash. His return to Calgary came by way of a highly successful and influential seven year stint in the Okanagan Valley where he as, Executive Winery Chef Matthew Chef Batey was instrumental in forging and defining the concept of "Cuisine du Terrior" - wine country cooking with the freshest, locally grown, in-season ingredients.

As Executive Chef at The Nash Restaurant and OFF CUT BAR, Chef Batey oversees the diverse culinary program of the Nash dining room and prohibition era inspired cocktail bar, OFF CUT. Says Batey "it's a rewarding challenge to be cooking contemporary Canadian cuisine in The Nash dining room and a great shift of focus to OFF CUT where the 'off cuts' of meat and seafood are the focus that brings an equally great amount of satisfaction."

Chef Matthew Batey states "that my own success has been a combination of many factors, one of the most significant being the opportunities and belief in me by the instructors. I wish to provide the same support and opportunities to the next generation of culinarians. The value is immeasurable. I was exposed to many different topics by leading chefs who were passionate about their craft. They wanted me to learn and be successful. You can't buy the life lessons or experiences that the instructors had!" The kind of exceptional employer support that Chef Batey offers is a critical component to our Culinary Arts program at VIU.