Chef Michael Hunter

A Canadian-born, professionally trained chef, co-owner of Antler Kitchen & Bar, a hunter, forager, husband and father, Michael began cooking at the early age of thirteen and fell in love with food and the restaurant industry. Growing up on a horse farm, Michael has a natural connection to nature.

Honours graduate of the Humber College Apprenticeship Chef Program and a Red Seal chef, he has worked for some of Canada’s top chefs and kitchens. In 2015, Michael and Jody Shapiro opened the restaurant Antler Kitchen & Bar to great acclaim. Since then, Hunter has been invited to cook at culinary festivals around the world including the United States, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Russia, and Brazil. Deeply committed to and passionate about local food, Michael lives in Toronto, but heads out into the Canadian wilderness as often as his busy schedule allows.

Chef Michael believes that it’s crucial that people learn more about where their food comes from. “It’s exciting for me as a chef to get to know the farmer because I can learn more about the animals and how they’re raised, what kind of feed they eat. Just knowing where these animals come from gives so much more of a connection to what you’re eating.” This year, he took his own advice and expanded his already vast knowledge with a visit to the Van Raay family’s pork farm. See videos below.