It’s not every day that a national television victory, a love story, and a college reunion are served at the same table. On Feb. 12, just days before Valentine’s Day, Top Chef Canada stars Erica and Josh Karbelnik will return to Niagara College to headline a special Chef Signature Series dinner at the College’s Benchmark Restaurant.
The husband-and-wife chefs, who graduated from Niagara College 15 years ago and recently moved back to the region, will lead a one-night-only dining experience that blends fine cuisine with a personal homecoming. For guests, the evening offers a rare chance to taste the work of two chefs whose careers have taken them from student kitchens to the national spotlight.
Erica and Josh both completed the College’s Culinary Management (Co-op) program in 2011, and their paths since then have been anything but ordinary. In June 2021, they captured national attention on Season 9 of Top Chef Canada, where Erica claimed the championship title and Josh finished as a finalist, serving as her sous chef in the finale.
“We are so proud to welcome back Erica and Josh who have had such an exciting and eventful career so far,” said Craig Youdale, Dean, Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies. “It is important for our students to look up to chefs that started just the same as them and have reached such impressive heights.”
From television kitchens to prominent restaurants across the country, the couple now leads their own fine dining and events venture, Karbs Catering. Their return to Niagara College marks both a professional milestone and a personal one, following their recent move from Toronto to St. Catharines.
“We are both extremely excited to be returning back to NC,” said Erica. “This is a huge milestone for us in our career and shows how far we have come from being students to chefs.”
Although they have visited campus over the years, the Feb. 12 dinner will be their first official return to the kitchens and labs where they trained as students. The evening’s menu will be curated by the Karbelniks, with current culinary students working alongside them in the Benchmark kitchen.
For Erica, the College remains central to her story.
“NC was truly the stepping stone; it was the start of our journey, the introduction to who we would become,” she said. “I remember being treated not just as another student or a number, but as someone of importance. The true love I felt and the passion behind what they do – you don’t get that very often in school.”
In addition to the dinner service, the couple plans to visit several culinary classes while on campus, sharing advice and experience with today’s students.
For Josh, that opportunity carries special meaning.
“We wouldn’t have gotten to where we are today if it wasn’t for people who did that for us… who were our mentors,” he said. “It’s a true honour to now be in that role and help shape the next generation.”
A Chef Signature Series – A Chef’s Journey with Erica and Josh Karbelnik will take place on Thursday, Feb. 12, with dinner beginning at 6 p.m. at Benchmark Restaurant, Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Tickets are $180.80, including tax, and are available in limited quantities through Eventbrite.
