14-year-old gets dream job as cook near Shediac
Kayleb Francis is 14 years old and already setting himself up for success in the culinary field.
The teenager has built a portfolio of experience as a chef, cooking for his family and community of Elsipogtog First Nation, and recently accepted a job in the kitchen at Euston Park Social at Parlee Beach.
Francis cooks at home a few times each week and has taken charge of special gatherings, such as Christmas, where he makes all the fixings for turkey dinner for his extended family. He began taking online cooking classes at Rooks and Cooks when he was 12.
"I was about nine when I started, which was just like [making] eggs, and then 11 when I started cooking for the whole family," Francis told Information Morning Moncton.
When he was 13, he cooked breakfast for all 20 people who went on a community hunting trip. He later cooked a partridge and moose that were caught there.
He began turning his skills into a business endeavour, selling whole cooked meals to people in his community and catering birthday parties.
The amount of pride we feel … I can't even describe it because it snowballed so quick. - Krystal Sock
"I've cooked for crowds before and even gave other people whole meals for them, like cooked for money."
Francis's mother, Krystal Sock, grabbed the attention of Euston Park owner and chef Gene Cormier with a Facebook post about her son's culinary talent.
To impress the renowned Moncton chef, Francis made a portfolio, resumé and cover letter to give to Cormier.
That's when he offered Francis a summer job.
"The amount of pride we feel … I can't even describe it because it snowballed so quick," said Sock.
"I wish I had his resumé on hand with me, because he stayed up late with a dictionary and a thesaurus to make his own resumé. He even took it to school to have his teacher proofread it for him."
Francis started the at Euston Park Social in Shediac last week, working in the pizza and nacho section of the canteen. He said he hopes to explore more areas of the kitchen as the summer goes on.
Cormier is a Red Seal Chef, which means the hours Francis spends working alongside him will count toward any culinary school in the future. Francis plans to attend the Culinary Institute of Canada in Prince Edward Island.
