Lesley Chesterman

Trained in pastry-making at the Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec, she perfected her art in France before returning to teach in Montréal. A critic for The Gazette newspaper between 1998 and 2018, her rigorous yet accessible reviews shaped a Montréal culinary culture that enjoyed unprecedented international renown over the same period. Driven by a desire for sharing and conviviality, she is as passionate about iconic establishments as she is about emerging talents. Author of books and contributor to numerous national and international publications, columnist for French and English-language radio stations and founder of the Lick My Plate newsletter, Lesley Chesterman brings Montréal's linguistic, cultural and culinary communities together around the same table, thanks to her unfailing appetite for the sharing and discovery of haute cuisine.