Chef from Halifax Wins National Culinary Award
Chef Lina Marchand of “Dock & Root” takes home top honors for her locally-inspired seafood creations.
June 18, 2025 at 05:56 | By Lucas O'Reilly, Prairie Signal
A Halifax-based chef has captured national attention by winning the prestigious Canadian Culinary Gold Medal, a competition that celebrates excellence in gastronomy and innovation in local cuisine. Chef Lina Marchand, head of the acclaimed Dock & Root restaurant in downtown Halifax, took the top spot with a seafood-forward tasting menu inspired by Nova Scotia’s coastal heritage.
The final competition, held this year in Vancouver, brought together regional winners from across Canada to compete in a live cook-off judged by a panel of industry veterans and food critics. Marchand’s menu featured seared Digby scallops on kelp-infused risotto, a smoked haddock consommé, and a foraged sea buckthorn tart for dessert.
Judges praised her dishes for their balance of flavour, visual composition, and cultural storytelling. 'Chef Marchand brought the Atlantic coast to the table,' said head judge Maxine Wu. 'Her use of local ingredients was thoughtful and her presentation, impeccable.'
Marchand, originally from Lunenburg, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa before returning to Nova Scotia to open Dock & Root in 2019. The restaurant quickly gained a following for its blend of French techniques and East Coast ingredients, with menus that change seasonally based on local availability.
Her win is seen as a major boost for the Halifax food scene, which has steadily gained prominence on the national stage. Local food writer Kevin Fong called it 'a turning point for Nova Scotia cuisine,' noting that Marchand’s culinary voice represents a new generation of Maritime chefs.
Back home, Dock & Root has seen a surge in reservations since the award was announced. The restaurant plans to offer a special tasting menu this fall that recreates Marchand’s winning dishes, alongside a photo display documenting her journey through the competition.
Marchand credits her team for the victory, saying the award reflects years of collaboration and experimentation. 'This isn’t just my win—it’s Halifax’s,' she said. 'We’re showing that the East Coast can compete with any food city in the country.'
In addition to the gold medal, Marchand received a $10,000 prize and an invitation to participate in a culinary exchange program in Japan next spring. She says she plans to use the opportunity to explore sustainable seafood practices and bring new ideas back to Nova Scotia.
Local officials say Marchand’s achievement highlights the potential of Halifax’s growing food economy and reinforces calls for more culinary tourism initiatives. 'Food is culture,' said Tourism Nova Scotia’s Claire Benoit. 'And Chef Marchand is one of our strongest cultural ambassadors.'