OUR TEST KITCHEN
Our test kitchen is a passionate collective of culinary experts that develop Cactus dishes from creative conception, to rigorous tastings, and finally to your table.
The Test Kitchen Team
With Executive Chef of Culinary Development Gregory McCallum leading the charge, the team works relentlessly to create and perfect recipes cherished by guests. Driven by his passion for food and cooking, Chef Greg brings a holistic approach to our dishes by focusing on quality, sustainability and flavour. Prior to Cactus, he worked under renowned Chef Daniel Boulud and later became Chef de Cuisine at L’Abbatoir, one of the top restaurants in Canada.
How We Work
Cuisine is a craft where every delicious dish is the sum of its parts. With that philosophy in mind, our dedicated test kitchen chefs work together to dream up, develop and perfect the dishes you love. The test kitchen team extends to a network of consultant chefs with different culinary skills. Together these chefs put new recipe ideas through the wringer with meticulous tastings and endless tweaking until they’re just right.
Every Guest Leaves Happy
The journey from our test kitchen to your table wouldn’t be complete without our leadership team of highly-skilled Red Seal Chefs who provide unbelievable consistency—every single time. Our chefs at Cactus locations across the country work with our teams, day and night to ensure our kitchens passionately deliver on our mission: Every Guest Leaves Happy.
To enhance our test kitchen flavours, the experienced bar team brings years of dedication to their craft. Their deep love of wine, and passion for creating and reimagining cocktails, allows us to elevate our dishes to a whole new level.
Enjoy this close look into the Test Kitchen’s creative process, courtesy of our Executive Chef of Culinary Development, Greg McCallum.