Meet Chef Noel
CHEF NOEL CUNNINGHAM
Jamaican-Canadian multi-award-winning chef| television food expert| culinary podcaster| food writer| Cookbook author | Restaurateur|
Noel Cunningham is not just a name in the culinary world; he’s one of North America’s celebrated and prominent culinary personalities who hails from Kingston, Jamaica. Cunningham has made an unforgettable impression on the global culinary stage. As a multi-award-winning chef, television personality, and entrepreneur, his culinary journey is nothing short of inspirational. His career spans working in noted restaurants in Jamaica and Canada to cooking at the James Beard House in New York City. He is the executive chef and owner of Cuisine by Noel, a Toronto-based private chef and catering business.
Known for his innovative twist on traditional Caribbean fare.
Noel is renowned for effortlessly blending his talent for creating elegant, Caribbean fusion-inspired cuisine with a passion for simple dishes using fresh and sustainable ingredients that are both unique and unforgettable. He has been recognized locally and internationally for his culinary abilities that have earned him numerous awards and features in print publications, television, and radio shows locally and internationally. 2019 saw the release of Noel’s best-selling book, “Cuisine by Noel: A Culinary Journey Through Recipes and Stories,” which included 100 of his favorite recipes and details of his path to success. Noel moved to Toronto in 2019 after having a six-year influence on the Manitoba culinary scene and being recognized as Winnipeg’s top chef in 2018. Since then, he has grown to be one of Toronto’s most sought-after chefs.
Noel’s influence extends far beyond the kitchen.
Noel uses his passion and enthusiasm for food, matched with his vibrant and comedic personality, to engage audiences to relate to him, which led to him appearing on some of Canada’s biggest culinary stages, festivals, and television shows, such as the Toronto Food and Drink Festival, the Canada National Exhibition Celebrity Chef stage, and the Toronto Jerkfest. Noel frequently appears on daytime television shows such as CP24 Breakfast, CTV Your Morning Live, Breakfast Television, CTV Morning Live Winnipeg, Global News, CHCH TV, and the host of What’s Cooking with Chef Noel Podcast. Not only does he cook, but he also writes weekly articles that are featured in several notable publications.
Awards and Recognition
Marking his many culinary achievements, Noel was recently nominated and awarded the 2024 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards in recognition of his achievements and contributions that have positively changed the face of Canada since arrival. In 2022, he was recognized as one of the 60 most influential and impactful next-generation and senior leaders of Jamaican heritage in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area and was awarded the Best Black Chef in Canada by the ByBlacks Magazine People’s Choice Awards in 2019 and 2020. He also won Best Podcaster, Best Caterer, and, in 2021, Best Restaurant and Baker. Outside of the kitchen and off the screen.
Outside the kitchen off the screen
Noel is committed to supporting communities and causes that have been meaningful to him through his career. Most notably, Noel supports the Sherbourne Health’s Food for Good campaign, which improves food-related skills and knowledge, as well as access to healthy food for vulnerable populations facing food insecurity, as well as the Sickkids Foundation, fighting for the health and wellbeing of children. Chef Noel actively catered to special events, private dining, interactive demonstrations, cooking classes, and restaurant consultations. Chef Noel divides his time between Canada and the U.S.
Chef Noel’s Culinary Showcase
