matthew rissling

Matthew is the Executive Chef at the prestigious Oak Bay Marina Restaurant.  Matt was born in Victoria in 1976, and like many cooks of his generation, he grew up watching celebrity chefs like Julia Child, Graham Kerr, Jacques Pepin, Jeff Smith, and James Barber on CBC and PBS.  However, he was most inspired by the uncomplicated cooking styles of his mom and aunts.

After high-school, he started washing dishes and making sandwiches in a small café .  He knew right a way that cooking was his passion and that restaurants would be his career.  He was later hired by Milestones Restaurant and spent a few years there honing his skills.

When his second child was on the way Matt decided it was time to get serious and began to strive for his Red Seal Chef designation.  The day after his son was born in 2003 he received his Certificate of Qualification.  Every restaurant challenge he has since hurtled has cemented his passion for food and cooking.

Soon after receiving his Red Seal, he was offered a job at the Marriott Hotel in Victoria working under Jeff Keenliside.  This job opened him up to a new world professionally and further fueled his passion for all things food.  From here, he migrated to the Oak Bay Marina, where he is still striving for his best.

Matt is a former member of the Victoria West Community Association and the Vic West Food Security Collective.  Both organizations are striving to increase local food supplies and promote organic gardening.

Matt is the proud caretaker of his own urban garden and was involved in planting an edible and organic permaculture garden at Banfield Park.  He helped plant the garden’s six foot tall mulberry bush, which should produce fruit for years to come.

Matt lives in a small footprint in Saanich with his wife, daughter and son.