Paul had an early start to his career. He began picking wild food with his father when he was 12 and has transformed a family tradition of five generations into being one of Canada’s most accomplished chefs and an entrepreneur.
Paul Moran’s journey started with humble beginnings as a dishwasher in a small Italian restaurant in West Kelowna. By the time of his high school graduation, Moran knew exactly what career path he would take. It was an interesting journey for Moran that included extensive training and experience in outstanding hotels and restaurants all over Europe, including a restaurant with two Michelin stars in Hotel Le Negresco in Nice, France.
Before being awarded Top Chef Canada in 2019, he was the winner of the national Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship in 2015 and received the honour of being named the S. Pellegrino Best Chef Under 30. With this, he earned the right to represent Canada in Milan, Italy for the title of World’s Best Young Chef, where he placed fifth overall in the world.
When I met Paul, he was the owner of Wild Origins, based in the town of Tofino on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Chef Paul would host “forage and feast” classes where he combined his culinary and foraging talents with groups of up to eight people. These groups would forage for seaweed, mushrooms, and shellfish and then prepare a seven course culinary feast with their findings.
The concept is an experiential, artisanal market with the most comprehensive gourmet market and prepared food offerings in Canada.
Chef Paul has now relocated to Sherwood Park near Edmonton, where he is the Culinary Director of the new L'OCA Quality Market that includes two full-service restaurants, PYRO and ORO. The hybrid restaurant/grocery store, with a brand promise of “Do food differently”, is opening its first store next spring. It will be approximately 45,000 square feet in size and employ approximately 200 people. The concept is an experiential, artisanal market with the most comprehensive gourmet market and prepared food offerings in Canada. The meals are created by some of the best chefs in Canada under the direction of Chef Paul. The long-term plan is to expand beyond the Edmonton area market, so keep an eye out for one in your community.
To learn more about Chef Paul’s latest venture, visit loca.ca .
