Chef Irwin MacKinnon
Participating Events
Irwin MacKinnon started as a family chef at the age of 12, when his mother went off to work and his farmer dad still looked for supper every day at 5pm. Fast forward a few years, and young Irwin, now a Culinary Institute of Canada graduate and with some experience under his belt locally, in Toronto and in Europe, was again a chef, but this time as head chef at Joseph’s, a new venture in fine dining in Charlottetown. Ten years later, Irwin was on the move again, this time to Papa Joe’s , a sister restaurant of Joseph’s, where he continues to tell his Island food story today.
Irwin’s list of accomplishments and awards is lengthy indeed, as his his recognition from his peers. Amongst the most recent are:
- of Agriculture and Fisheries 2016 “Best of Sea” Winner
- 2017 Prince Edward Island Association of Chefs & Cooks “PEI Chef of the Year” Award
- 2018 Canadian Culinary Federation “National Chef of the Year” Award
An Islander to the core, there is no doubt Irwin is passionate about cooking, and he is equally passionate about the place he calls home. “Farm to table and buy local … it’s kind of passé here because we’ve being doing that since the beginning of time. It’s just a glorious place to be”.
