5. Chef Kyle Campbell

 

Kyle Campbell is a born and bred Dartmouth man and is currently the executive chef at Barrington Steakhouse and Oyster Bar. He made his start at 14, washing dishes at the Mic Mac paddling club to help pay tuition for his paddling membership. He has since worked in many kitchens across the HRM including at the Lower Deck, HFX Sports, and the Stubborn Goat, to name a few.

Those who know Kyle, know he is a very hands-on chef. From the first time he walked into a steakhouse, he knew he wanted to work in one. In discussing his work with him, Kyle was very passionate about the art of butchery and his love for it, as well as the almost-primal feeling when grilling steak.

 

A father of three, Kyle notes family has always been the most important aspect of his life, in fact, it is what began his love of cooking. Kyle admits from an early age his mother would use cooking as a means to keep him out of trouble.

“I was a bad kid. Cooking was something that me and my mother did together to keep me out of trouble. I didn’t necessarily know it at the time, but she would keep me in the house and out of trouble by asking, “Hey, we're going to cook XYZ today; Did you want to stay in?”. My mother has passed now but cooking is always something that brings me back to being with her. Food is family to me”.

 

His motivation comes from how he can support his family and he enjoys involving them in his career. Kyle often brings his oldest son into his work because of how much he enjoys being there and helping his father.

 

“He really enjoys coming and learning and getting that hands-on experience. Whether that's just him wanting to spend more time with me or him actually enjoying the aspect of cooking, I’m not sure, but you know, he's got his own knife that he brings, and I love spending time with him here.”

 

Kyle acknowledged that based on his early experiences in the food industry, it is not necessarily something he wants his children pursuing given how tough it can be both physically and mentally. Kyle has struggled with mental health issues and knows a lot of others in the industry who have as well. This said, he has made an effort to change this in his kitchen and has seen changes across the industry as a whole.

 

“Mental health in kitchens is a real issue that I have experienced personally and seen in others. We need to erase the stigma behind it. I would tell readers, especially other chefs, that we are all in the same boat with depression and anxiety floating through these walls. I would encourage others struggling to find someone they can reach out to. I’m happy to say that I will be nine years sober this December and started by reaching out for support.”

 

Kyle has taken his past experiences and implemented them into his kitchen. He considers his team a family and makes an effort to ensure their mental health and personal lives are taken into account in their work.

 

“It’s a played-out term, but we are a family here. If you're sick, don't come to work… If you have a family emergency, go take care of it. I really try to push that because ten years ago that wasn't an option or even a consideration.  I'm not a screamer. I'm not a yeller. I want everyone to enjoy coming to work and I try to impart that on others. I'm not working my team 60-70 hours a week. I want them to come in and do their 40 hours, make a livable wage in that time, and be able to enjoy their time off.  Are there times where we're short-staffed and we have to pull the extra couples of hours? Absolutely. But, I don't want that to be the industry norm anymore. If I can change my little slice, then I'm doing what I can for the industry.”

 

In Kyle’s final thoughts, he emphasized that a successful kitchen needs to have the right people in the right places and that those people are heard and treated with respect. He noted if you can do that, everything else will fall in line.