Chef Ned Bell
Chef Ned Bell is one of Canada’s foremost culinary talents. Born in the Okanagan, British Columbia’s wine country, Bell has always had a passion for cooking and is steadfast in his vision and drive to create new, imaginative dishes with fresh, local ingredients. Bell began his career in Vancouver working under two local restaurant legends: first under the tutelage of Le Crocodile’s Michel Jacob and then as Sous Chef for Rob Feenie’s Lumiere restaurant. In 1997 Bell set his sights eastward where he enjoyed successful stints as Executive Chef at Niagara on the Lake’s Peninsula Ridge Estate Winery, and at Toronto’s Accolade and Senses restaurants where he earned significant recognition by the city’s culinary cognoscenti. During his time in Toronto, Bell was a regular on Food Network Canada’s “Cook Like a Chef.”
Ready to make his mark on the up-and-coming Calgary restaurant scene, the new millennium saw Chef Ned Bell moving west to cook up a storm at Murrieta’s Grill in Calgary, where his list of accomplishments included winning Where Magazine’s Rising Star and Best Overall awards. Wanting to get further engaged in the business side of restaurants, Bell joined the team at Vintage Chophouse and Red Water Grille as Corporate Chef where his passion, knowledge, creativity and focus turned the restaurants into two of Calgary’s most exciting culinary locales. The vibrant, young chef is thrilled to return to his roots where he is excitedly living his dream of being both Executive Chef and an owner at Cabana Bar and Grille in Kelowna, BC. Bell’s talent and charisma continue to propel him forward. Since opening Cabana Bar and Grille, Bell has begun filming “It’s Just Food” for CTV, and has been voted one of Western Living’s Top 40 Foodies Under 40 Bell is also lending his good taste to Vancouver Cooks 2.0–a coveted collection of recipes from Vancouver’s best chefs.