The Team
A. Paul Mitchell, Editor
A. Paul Mitchell has been the restaurant critic for Metro News London’s weekly Lunch Rush column since the paper’s inception and possesses a wealth of communications experience from his 19 years within the marketing and hospitality industries. After years in sales management for two Ontario wineries, he led the communications program for a national research charity, and worked in media relations for Richard Ivey School of Business. Paul is a drink industry authority and currently involved in publishing. He is a member of IABC Canada, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Western Ontario and is a marketing graduate from Centennial College. Visit his site at www.tastytours.ca
Follow Paul (@apaulmitchell) on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/apaulmitchell
Jonathon Hyjek, Production Manager
Jonathon is an avid “foodie” with a background in the food business. Following his entrepreneurial spirit, Jonathon purchased a small grocery store after college and further developed his love for food. Jonathon & his wife Joy enjoy new culinary experiences, with Vietnamese & Greek among their favourite cuisines. Jonathon is also what some may call a “coffee snob.” He enjoys a great cup of dark roast coffee, freshly ground and made at home using a french press. Jonathon owns a local online marketing company called Blake Strategies Group. Visit his site at www.blakestrategiesgroup.com
ADVISORY BOARD
Joel Adams
Joel Adams is the President of VENDEV Management, and has taught entrepreneurship and innovation to engineering students at Western University for the past ten years, where he also spent seven years growing Western’s Research Park into one of the largest and most successful technology incubation organizations in Canada. An active champion of entrepreneurs and small business, Joel currently serves as chairperson of Downtown London’s revitalization board, and is close to completing a personal quest to eat at every restaurant (700+) in London, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Adams established and was the first graduate of the dual degree program between the Richard Ivey School of Business and Western Engineering, and was the founding president of the Western Engineering Alumni Society.
Peter Calvert
Peter Calvert is President and owner of Trevlac Computer Services Ltd., one of Canada’s most progressive software development companies in the field of student administration for schools, school districts and First Nations students. Along with exploring local restaurants, he enjoys cooking at home with a special interest in low-carb jams, pickles, and pies. Peter travels extensively as part of his passion for performance car racing and enjoys coaching aspiring drivers.
Jim Evans
Jim Evans is the creative Clubhouse/Food & Beverage Manager at The Oaks Golf Club located in Delaware, Ontario. Since moving from The London Club as the Club Service Manager, he has made the Oaks a place to experience fresh, modern and contemporary cuisine and beverage service, while consistently maintaining a high level of exceptional customer experience. At the Oaks, Jim is responsible for creating and implementing special events for members and guests and rotating the club’s menus based on fresh seasonal ingredients with a focus on local farm-to-table items. He books weddings and corporate events, performs hiring and scheduling while overseeing all clubhouse kitchen and service staff team members. He tracks daily sales and labour costs, and handles all the food and beverage purchases and inventory for the operation.
Steve Mara, C.E.O. (Corporate Escape Opportunist)
Steve retired as a Vice-President with a national wholesaler based in Toronto. Previously, he was a Chartered Accountant in London and is a University of Western Ontario grad. During his work career and now during his retirement, he has always enjoyed traveling and dining out extensively throughout Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. As an avid foodie, one of his retirement activities is cooking with his culinarily-gifted wife, Linda. Steve is a prolific food researcher and recipe collector and thoroughly enjoys being a participant in the London Dining Review restaurant news initiative.
