John Beddoes was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a passion for culinary. John graduated from Vancouver Community College obtaining his Red Seal Certificate in 2011.
John started his cooking career at the national award-winning The Pear Tree Restaurant in Vancouver, where he would spend the next 3 years. He moved to Calgary to grow his culinary expertise leading the kitchen teams at Calgary’s acclaimed Notable (2017-2020), Model Milk (2021-2022) restaurants and Deane House (2022-2025). John recently started at Fine Print where he leads the kitchen as executive chef.
John has always had a passion for local, seasonal food and has strong connections with the Alberta farming community, utilizing the best possible seasonal ingredients. At Fine Print, John and the entire kitchen and service teams make very deliberate choices about how they source, prepare and serve the food.
What made you want to be a chef?
“My first job as a teenager was as a dishwasher on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. This is where I got my first taste for the high pace and teamwork needed to get through a busy service. As I grew up I became more interested in cooking and was able to experiment with different recipes and techniques and had a genuine curiosity as to what makes food enjoyable. Being a chef offers a unique opportunity to stay connected to our humanity using all of the senses, operating effectively in a high pace physical environment and the opportunity to hone a craft.”
Why do you use Alberta ingredients in your kitchen?
“As a restaurant we are part of a community. We are the link between food producers and people looking to enjoy high quality food. It is our responsibility to tie these two ends of the community together by choosing local producers that use sustainable practices ensuring that this can continue into the future.“
Do you have a favourite kitchen/cooking memory?
“One of my favorite kitchen memories was working the Vancouver Greasy Spoon Diner event in 2015. It was a charity event that brought local high end dining teams to a landmark diner on the downtown east side to serve a tasting menu based on greasy diner classics. I was really proud to be part of a team with such amazing cooks and it made for a very memorable night.“
Why do you take part in Alberta on the Plate?
“Being part of Alberta on the plate is our opportunity to showcase the community that we belong to. By focusing on local ingredients we can give some credit to the producers who make it possible for us to serve the food that we do.“