Robert Gerstenecker
Robert Gerstenecker’s gastronomic roots run deep, right down to memories of the family farm where he grew up near Dunville, Ontario. There, plucking seasonal vegetables for dinner was a daily chore and milk never made it to the fridge. “We milked the cows every day and kept it, unpasteurised, in a jug outside the door,” he recalls. “My mother made her own butter. Dinner was at 6:00 pm, and it was the centrepiece of the day.”
When he grew old enough to go out on his own, he contemplated a range of pursuits – including law enforcement – before realising what excited him was in his own backyard.
Gerstenecker can’t help but to pass that passion along – to his clientele as well as to his cooks. On slow Sunday afternoons he can be found with his kitchen crew picking seasonal produce from farmers’ fields. “You can’t have good relationships with people unless you know where they come from. It’s the same with food.”
