By Jessica Brill
Chef Ric Allen-Watson’s story is one of resilience and a commitment to making the world a better place. Born in Kingston, Ontario, to a mother living with schizophrenia, he faced significant challenges from an early age. By the time he was seven, he had taken on responsibilities well beyond his years—regularly walking to the store on his own and carrying groceries home to help support his household.
In talking with Chef Ric, we learned about how his culinary journey began, the life he’s led, and the lives he’s affected in his desire to make lasting changes in his community.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
CRFN: How did your culinary journey begin and where has it led?
Chef Ric: When I turned 14, my mother decided it was time for me to leave our home. I was not street smart, but I left the house with nowhere to go, and for a while, I depended on friends. When that was no longer an option, I spent some time sleeping in apartment building hallways and in parks – wherever I could find a place to sleep.
I turned to drugs and alcohol and was stealing to sustain a life I hated. I desperately wanted to change my life, and when I was able to get a job in a residence at Queens University, my life turned around. The people in the kitchen became my family, making me feel wanted and appreciated, and the Chef helped me quit my addictions and get into school. With help, I got my chef’s papers and an education in Hotel Restaurant Management. After graduation, I moved to British Columbia, taking a position as Head Chef at the University of Victoria – and while I loved that experience, I still felt that something was missing in my life. And that’s when I decided to move back home to Ontario, settling in Ottawa.
CRFN: What is the story behind the Food Services Training Program at the Ottawa Mission?
Chef Ric: In 2002, a friend asked me to come to the Ottawa Mission to serve a meal. The thought intrigued me, and while I was there, passing the plates to the people on the other side of the glass, I could see myself in them.
Many of the visitors asked for a job, offering to work in the kitchen, doing dishes or cooking, and it was like looking at an old version of myself. I decided that this was a place I wanted to stay, so I got a job at the Ottawa Mission as a cook and very quickly moved up to the position of Manager of Food Services. In 2004, I started the Food Services Training Program.
When it first began, it was a four-month program. We were reaching out to people who are homeless and people at risk of homelessness to bring them into the program, where we would train them to work in a commercial kitchen and help them in any way we could. This included anything from getting them into drug and alcohol rehabilitation to finding housing to donating food. We would do anything we could anything to help them get ahead.
CRFN: How has the program evolved since its inception?
Chef Ric: In the beginning, the program included five students, and it was held once a year. But once the session was complete, those five students had jobs and a life, and it really became a full circle moment for me. I connected with this work, and I knew it was my turn to give back.
So, the following year, we did two sessions, and we graduated 20 students, growing the program as much as we could over time. Today, the program has evolved to three sessions per year, with almost 100 students graduating annually. We have the capacity to house 30 to 40 students per session, but we regularly receive over 250 applications each time.
In 2006, I realized that there was an opportunity to expand into catering, so we added that to the program, and we started teaching the students how to cater, despite some concern that there may not be enough interest in catering from a homeless shelter. I could see the potential, though. Last fiscal year, we did over 4 million dollars in catering, and all that money goes back into the program. We’ve catered all kinds of events, from weddings to some high-profile local events like Bluesfest, Winterfest, and we even won Best Caterer in Ottawa in 2025, which is helping our reputation grow even further.
It’s amazing that there have been inquiries from coast to coast about what we do and how we’ve made it so successful, with people asking for advice on starting programs of their own. I have travelled to talk about the program, and there have been some similar programs created, so it’s growing into more communities across the country.
CRFN: Why is it important to you to give back, and how do you stay inspired to do this work?
Chef Ric: Without someone offering me a helping hand and some guidance, I’m not sure where I would be today. I love coming to work every day and interacting with the students. In fact, every two weeks, I sit down with each of the students for a one-on-one to check-in to see whether there’s anything more I can offer them – and that’s a really inspiring part of what I do.
It’s just been such an amazing journey, and over the years, our mandate has shifted slightly – it was originally designed for at-risk and homeless people, and while that is still part of it, there are a lot of newcomers to Canada now taking the program. We’re helping to change people’s lives by getting them into the workforce, and showing them that there are people who care, and helping to provide the tools to support their success. With that little nudge, a helping hand, and a hug once in a while, people can change their lives.
My favourite part of what I do is graduation at the end of the program, where I get to hand over that certificate, shake hands, and give them a few words of encouragement in front of a dining room full of guests. It’s amazing to experience the pride and happiness on the graduates’ faces. Also, 80 per cent of the catering team is made up of past students, so it’s so cool to see them doing their part to help others and pay it forward. It’s really amazing to see the transformation that occurs for the students during their time with us. I’m reminded every day how lucky I am to be able to do this work.
