This is the third in a series of chef and producer profiles of individuals making a difference in the good food movement in Southern Ontario. (See our profiles of Chef Michael Steh here and Scott Vivian here.) Recently, Chef Crump brought his signature over the top seasonal style to the Good Food Media Launch Dinner with a composed salad of 40 vegetables from Perth County.

Chef Crump in portrait and in action. Photos: John Gundy

The Ancaster Old Mill's Jeff Crump honed his talents across in some of the top-rated kitchens of the world including Lumiere in Vancouver, Chez Panisse in Berkeley and The Fat Duck in Bray, England under the famed Heston Blumenthal. Crump is also a founder of Slow Food in Ontario and is a passionate promoter of local food. He insists on seasonality and Crump's combination of thinking globally and acting locally is distilled in Earth to Table the new Random House cookbook he co-wrote with his pastry chef Bettina Schormann.

Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann will appear at a special dinner reception featuring recipes from Earth to Table with ingredients from some of their favourite Ontario producers like David Cohlmeyer, Antony John, Ruth Klahsen and Dyson Forbes at Hart House, Tuesday, December 8 at 7PM. Click here to see the menu and buy tickets.

GFR: What's brought you to the forefront of your profession? What makes you a great a chef?

Jeff Crump: Years of hard work and a very talented team - both in the front of the house and my kitchen staff.

GFR: Why do you think food is such a significant and important element of culture?

JC: It's something we must do everyday. The pleasure that we get from cooking and eating is undeniable. What we eat defines us both geographically and culturally.

GFR: Philosophers have debated the socio-political concept of "the good" for thousands of years. What do you think "good food" means?

JC: It means seasonal food grown with conviction and prepared with care and skill.

GFR: What's is your secret culinary faux pas?

JC: It is not a secret that I adore Twix chocolate bars.

GFR: What about fast food? What's the best thing you can cook at home in 20 minutes?

JC: An omelette with cheese and fresh herbs: good for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Visit earthtotable.ca to learn more about Jeff Crump.