CANADA
ONE WORLD 1 TORONTO
EX EC U T I V E C H EF D ERE K POW E RS JR. 1 Hotel Toronto, 1 Kitchen Toronto, Flora Lounge and Harriet’s Toronto
by Sean Jeremy Palmer
It’s all clean eats. Simple foods. Nothing over the top. Stuff that you eat and feel good about is the goal.
H
is mom from Trinidad, his dad from Detroit, Executive Chef Derek Powers Jr. grew up in Los Angeles with spirit in the kitchen and a spoon and whisk in his
hands. His young culinary career has sent him through San Diego, Houston, Miami, Jersey, the Bahamas, Atlantic City, LA and now Toronto, where he’s leading
The 1 Toronto concept is astounding in its ambition. Tell us about it. 1 Hotels is a sustainable luxury hospitality brand, that encourages guests to preserve and protect the one world we live in. At the new Toronto property, we’re doing it step by step and the culinary programs play a major role. Our signature restaurant 1 Kitchen Toronto is where you’ll definitely see zero waste dishes. We aim to be as sustainable as possible by sourcing ingredients from small Ontario farms, and we’ve also partnered with local purveyors and producers, incorporating them into our monthly programming to help build a better sense of community.
the most anticipated fully sustainable kitchens at one of one of North America’s most esteemed addresses, in what is called “Canada’s coolest neighborhood”. Between a slew of openings and engagements, Chef Derek sat with CW Magazine to talk about his success.
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We are also the only hotel in Toronto to operate an extensive wet-waste compost program. If we end up having an extra few items that we’re not able to add into our dishes, or if a guest doesn’t finish their meal, we add it to our composter, turning that waste into nutrient dense soil that is used to cultivate the 3,300 plants throughout the hotel, and grow our beautiful on-property garden pavilion. We grow a variety of fresh herbs and produce onsite and use the fresh items in our kitchens. It’s a whole circular process.
