Growing Chefs! Ontario
Growing Chefs! Ontario is a London, Ontario-based registered charity delivering hands-on food literacy programs to children, youth, and families through 100+ school partnerships, supported by a social enterprise lunch kitchen and the Londonlicious food festival.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersLondon, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Growing Chefs! Ontario does
Growing Chefs! Ontario is a registered Canadian charity (Charity Registration No. 858959026RR0001) headquartered at 460 King Street in London, Ontario, founded in 2006 by Merri Schwartz in Vancouver and expanded to Ontario by Andrew Fleet in 2008. The organization delivers hands-on food literacy education to children, youth, families, and educators through school partnerships, community workshops, youth programs, and digital resources. Its core offerings include the School Program (active in 100+ London-area schools), the Advanced Culinary Program for ages 12-16, the Know Your Roots summer camp, and curriculum-linked lesson plans in English and French aligned with the Ontario Elementary School Curriculum for grades 4-8. The technology layer is non-proprietary and consists of a content website, YouTube-hosted educational videos, downloadable lesson plans, and email/newsletter channels that complement in-person delivery.
The organization operates a hybrid revenue model combining donations and grants with a social enterprise. The Beet Commercial Kitchen produces and delivers 125,000 scratch-made lunches annually to local schools, generating approximately $1.2 million in 2024-2025 revenue, while programs for schools and families remain free to ensure accessibility. Additional revenue comes from paid events including the SOUPer Bowl annual fundraiser ($65/ticket), the Advanced Culinary Program ($320 per 8-week participant), private cooking classes, conference packages, and the Londonlicious bi-annual food festival — taken over by the organization in 2023 to support post-pandemic recovery of the local food service industry. The organization employs 22 staff across two physical locations (the headquarters and The Grove teaching facility at the Western Fair District) and has cumulatively reached over 120,000 children and families since founding. In 2025, Growing Chefs! Ontario received the Minister's Award and the Education Excellence Award from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, and holds Feast ON certification for sourcing more than 40% Ontario-grown ingredients, exceeding the program's 25% baseline.
Growing Chefs! Ontario firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Growing Chefs! Ontario
- Legal name
- Growing Chefs! Ontario
- Website
- https://growingchefsontario.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Growing Chefs! Ontario is a London, Ontario-based registered charity delivering hands-on food literacy programs to children, youth, and families through 100+ school partnerships, supported by a social enterprise lunch kitchen and the Londonlicious food festival.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Growing Chefs! Ontario industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Food Literacy Education Services
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Food Service Contractors (72231)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Menu Planning, Nutrition & Dietary Accommodation Services (Allergens, Special Diets) (EDAEAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Nutrition, Special Diets & Wellness Cooking (EDAOAKAJ), Institutional & Commercial Kitchen Training (Schools/Healthcare/Corporate) (EDAOAKAL), Culinary Arts & Cooking (Baking, Pastry, Global Cuisines) (EDAAAGAG), School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD)
Keywords
Where Growing Chefs! Ontario is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Growing Chefs! Ontario business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Sponsorships: Growing Chefs! Ontario is a registered charity (Charity Registration No. 858959026RR0001) that relies on donations, corporate sponsorships, and individual monthly donors (Inner Beet program) to fund free programs for schools and families. The organization explicitly states programs are offered at no cost to schools/families to ensure inclusivity.
- Social Enterprise - The Beet Lunch Program: The organization operates The Beet Commercial Kitchen, producing and delivering scratch-made lunches to local schools. Generated $1.2 million in revenue (as of 2024-2025) and delivered 125,000 lunches last year.
- Event Revenue: Revenue from paid events including SOUPer Bowl ($65/ticket), Advanced Culinary Program ($320/participant), private cooking classes, conference packages, and fundraising dinners.
- Londonlicious Festival: Growing Chefs! Ontario presents the Londonlicious bi-annual food festival, which supports local restaurants and generates revenue through participation fees and sponsorship.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SOUPer Bowl annual fundraiser - includes lunch, Clayworx bowl to keep, and donations to 3 local nonprofits |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Advanced Culinary Program - 8-week program for youth aged 12-16, includes all programming fees, dinner each week, and Growing Chefs! apron |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Advanced Culinary Program Family Celebration - family dinner event hosted by participants |
| Freemium | Annual | School Programs - food education programs for schools, children, and youth |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Growing Chefs! Ontario product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Growing Chefs! Ontario delivers hands-on food literacy education programs for children, youth, and families through in-school cooking and gardening classes, community workshops, curriculum-linked lesson plans, and youth culinary training. The organization also runs a social enterprise commercial kitchen (The Beet) producing scratch-made school lunches and presents the Londonlicious bi-annual food festival, all aimed at improving healthy relationships with food. Programs are offered at no cost to schools and families, funded by donations, sponsorships, grants, and earned revenue.
Product overview
Growing Chefs! Ontario is a London-based registered charity offering a portfolio of food education programs and social enterprises. The core offering consists of hands-on food literacy programs for schools, children, youth, and families, including the School Program, Growing Communities, and Public Programs. Supporting these are digital resources including GCO at Home, Recipes, Videos, and downloadable Lesson Plans aligned with Ontario curriculum. The organization operates The Beet Commercial Kitchen as a social enterprise producing scratch-made school lunches. Additional programs include the Advanced Culinary Program for youth aged 12-16, Know Your Roots Summer Camp, Private Adult Cooking Classes, and venue rental through Conference Packages. Londonlicious is a bi-annual food festival presented by the organization. All programs aim to improve food literacy and support healthy relationships with food.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Londonlicious: London's bi-annual food festival celebrating the city's diverse restaurant scene through curated prix-fixe menus, special events, and local ingredient storytelling. Relaunched in 2023 and operated by Growing Chefs! Ontario.
- The Beet Commercial Kitchen
- Growing Chefs! At The Grove
Products and services
- School Program In-school cooking and gardening classes delivered in partnership with over 100 schools across London and area, serving children and youth.
- Growing Communities
Quantifiable outcome
- 120,000+ children and families reached since founding
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Growing Chefs! Ontario
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Growing Chefs! Ontario technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Growing Chefs! Ontario partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OPHEAcorePartnership to distribute Growing Chefs! Ontario lesson plans in French through OPHEA's platform. OPHEA is a network supporting health and physical education in Ontario schools. French lesson plans for Food Systems grades 4-8 and 7-8 are available via ophea.net.
- Tourism Industry Association of OntariocoreStrategic partnership through Londonlicious festival recognition. The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario and Culinary Tourism Alliance recognized Londonlicious as a finalist for Culinary Tourism Event of the Year in 2023.
- Urban Roots LondoncoreCollaborative partner in the annual SOUPer Bowl fundraiser. Urban Roots London supplies fresh, locally grown ingredients for the event. One of three local charities benefiting from SOUPer Bowl proceeds.
- Clayworx: Ceramic Arts Learning CentrecoreCollaborative partner in the annual SOUPer Bowl fundraiser. Clayworx creates artisan ceramic bowls for the event and provides the trophy for the SOUPer Bowl Champion. One of three local charities benefiting from SOUPer Bowl proceeds.
- Western Fair DistrictcorePartnership to operate The Grove facility at Western Fair District (900 King St.). Growing Chefs! at The Grove serves as the primary teaching facility for programs, events, and the Londonlicious festival.
- 100+ London Area SchoolscoreSchool partnerships delivering food education programs across London and area. Programs include in-school cooking, gardening, and food systems education aligned with Ontario curriculum.
- London Food BankminorIn-kind supporter providing food bank resources and collaboration opportunities related to food security and food literacy.
- Canada HelpsminorOnline giving platform partner enabling donations to Growing Chefs! Ontario. Donations page links to CanadaHelps.org for secure giving.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Growing Chefs! Ontario competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FoodCorps: US-based nonprofit connecting kids to healthy food in schools through hands-on food education. Closest international peer in mission: school-based food literacy programming at scale.
- The Stop Community Food Centre: Toronto-based community food center combining food access, education, and community programming. Comparable as a registered charity with a hybrid model of food literacy and food access.
- Real Food for Real Kids: Toronto-based provider of scratch-made lunches to schools and childcares, with a focus on local sourcing and nutrition. Directly comparable to The Beet Commercial Kitchen as a school meal program operator serving Ontario children.
- Sustain Ontario: Provincial alliance promoting food systems education and local food policy. Overlapping with Growing Chefs! Ontario on food literacy, local sourcing advocacy, and Feast ON ecosystem.
- Farm to Cafeteria Canada: National Canadian organization connecting schools, farms, and communities to bring local food into institutions. Directly comparable on the school food, local sourcing, and food literacy dimensions.
- FoodShare Toronto: Toronto-based food nonprofit focused on food literacy, school programs, and community food access. Comparable to Growing Chefs! Ontario as a registered charity delivering food education and school food services in a major Canadian city.
- Edible Schoolyard Project: Founded by Alice Waters, focused on integrating edible education into school curricula. Comparable to Growing Chefs! Ontario in pedagogy (hands-on cooking + garden) and curriculum-linked delivery model.
- Growing Chefs! (Vancouver): Original Growing Chefs! chapter founded in Vancouver in 2006 by Merri Schwartz. Direct sibling organization with shared origins and aligned food education mission.
Broad incumbents
- Chartwells (Compass Group Canada): Large school food service contractor operating across Canadian school boards. Comparable as a school meal provider, though lacks the food education / nonprofit mission overlay.
Emerging players
- Whole Kids Foundation: US-based nonprofit funding school gardens and food education. Comparable mission focus on children's food literacy, though operates as a grant-maker rather than direct program operator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Growing Chefs! Ontario social profiles
Digital presenceGrowing Chefs! Ontario financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Growing Chefs! Ontario leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Growing Chefs! Ontario funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Growing Chefs! Ontario M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Growing Chefs! Ontario
What does Growing Chefs! Ontario do?
Growing Chefs! Ontario delivers hands-on food literacy education programs for children, youth, and families through in-school cooking and gardening classes, community workshops, curriculum-linked lesson plans, and youth culinary training. The organization also runs a social enterprise commercial kitchen (The Beet) producing scratch-made school lunches and presents the Londonlicious bi-annual food festival, all aimed at improving healthy relationships with food. Programs are offered at no cost to schools and families, funded by donations, sponsorships, grants, and earned revenue.
Is Growing Chefs! Ontario a public or private company?
Growing Chefs! Ontario is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Growing Chefs! Ontario founded?
Growing Chefs! Ontario was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Growing Chefs! Ontario based?
Growing Chefs! Ontario is headquartered in London, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Growing Chefs! Ontario make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are social Enterprise - The Beet Lunch Program, event Revenue and londonlicious Festival.
Who are Growing Chefs! Ontario's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FoodCorps, The Stop Community Food Centre, Real Food for Real Kids, Sustain Ontario, Farm to Cafeteria Canada, FoodShare Toronto, Edible Schoolyard Project and Growing Chefs! (Vancouver). Chartwells (Compass Group Canada) is listed as a broad incumbent. Whole Kids Foundation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Growing Chefs! Ontario have an API?
No public API is recorded for Growing Chefs! Ontario.
What industry is Growing Chefs! Ontario in?
Growing Chefs! Ontario's product category is Food Literacy Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAEAD, Menu Planning, Nutrition & Dietary Accommodation Services (Allergens, Special Diets), with a secondary code of EDAOAKAJ, Nutrition, Special Diets & Wellness Cooking. Its NAICS code is 611110 and its SIC code is 8200.