How WinSport’s Food & Beverage team caters to every need

There’s always something for the culinary curators to cook up at WinSport.

Behind the scenes, they’re working hard to satisfy the stomachs of daily guests at Canada Olympic Park while also executing off-site orders complete with scrumptious spreads.

Yes, Executive Chef Ronnie Gillman has a lot on his plate.

“I’m responsible for all the food and kitchen operations in all the outlets, and catering and events,” says Gillman. “The outlets are the food court and the EIGHTYEIGHT Bar & Grill in the Day Lodge, the Snack Shack which we move around the Park, and then in the Markin MacPhail Centre, it’s the Garden Café, the WinSport Hockey House, and the food offerings in the concessions for the arena events. And then catering and events is basically anything and everything that somebody pays for, and we make it happen.”

Gillman, hailing from Melbourne, Australia, began working in kitchens at 16 years of age and completed a Hospitality Management degree in his hometown before coming to WinSport as a line cook in the summer of 2006. After later leaving for Europe and spending time back in his native country, he returned to WinSport in 2011, and in 2021 was elevated to his current position.

He now oversees upwards of 100 Food & Beverage Team Members and works together with his with all-encompassing crew to serve up delectable eats and drinks for groups galore.

“It can be (something as small as) a little corporate breakfast or lunch for a dozen people,” says Gillman. “Or graduation dinners, Christmas parties, weddings for 1,000 people, BBQs for a couple thousand, plated dinners, buffets, action stations, or hors d’oeuvres and canapes. Athlete catering, band and crew riders, and other requirements for concerts. On-site designated function spaces, outdoors on the hill, or off-site events at the Calgary Central Library, US Consulate, or private residences.”

For a taste of what’s to come in the immediate future, the goings-on this upcoming weekend certainly won’t be a snack-sized assignment. As many as 2,500 mouths will be fed during various holiday parties on campus, and a cheerleading event will also be taking place inside the WinSport Event Centre on Saturday.

The next priority will be moving back into the Food & Beverage spaces in the renovated Day Lodge to accommodate the late-December rush of snow seekers.  

But as the team navigates their way through the various demands associated with each month of the year, something that doesn’t ever change is the fact that the Food & Beverage business unit at WinSport remains a great place to work within.

“We have a really good culture,” says Gillman. “We like to have fun and we’re not a strict, stereotypical (environment). We try to get people to learn different things and work all the different areas so you’re not just doing the same repetitive thing every day. The hours are great compared to rest of the industry. A lot of our Team Members have a part-time job here cooking or serving and can use the skiing and snowboarding reciprocals. We offer competitive pay and gratuities.”

Breakfast and lunch are prepared for the Calgary Wranglers, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Flames, on every practice day within the spacious production kitchen. WinSport began hosting the professional hockey team’s on-ice sessions in 2022.

And to best accommodate a growing list of dietary preferences and requirements for members of the public, Gillman is always including gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian offerings at every corner.

All in all, the craving for WinSport’s Food & Beverage has arguably never been bigger.

“There’s definitely been lots of growth,” says Gillman. “I think a lot of it comes from our experiences doing all the different events and working with the different clientele who come through. If there’s been customer requests or suggestions, we incorporate those as much as we can.”

Bon Appetit!