79 - Let's Meet For A Beer with Cam Dobranski

Chefs are a unique bunch, but they often don’t have many options to showcase their individuality through their workwear, so Red Seal Chef and Calgary restaurant mogul Cam Dobranski founded Medium Rare Chef Apparel to provide all new options to chefs, while also giving back to our local community.

Cam’s passion for food started very early, knowing as sa young kid growing up in Edmonton he wanted to pursue a career as a chef. Attending NAIT to be certified as a Red Seal Chef followed by a degree in business at MacEwan University he was well prepared to make this dream a reality. Following university Cam would spend time cooking throughout Europe, and solidifying his philosophy of food being the universal language.

Back in Canada Cam is well known for his restaurants such as Kensington’s Container Bar, Wine Bar, and Eat Crow, and has recently launched a brand of chef’s apparel, Medium Rare. Despite being a relatively recent new business, the concept for Medium Rare started nearly two decades ago with Cam asking a girlfriend’s seamstress mother to sew some more unique work clothes for him.

Today Medium Rare is not only providing unique apparel options for chefs, but also helping to diversify Alberta’s economy through bringing the apparel industry to Calgary. As with many businesses, Medium Rare has competed a “pandemic pivot” and starting to make masks. Not only that, but they also gave a mask to a frontline worker for every one they sold, donating more than 1,000 masks within the first few weeks. Now that frontline workers are in better shape they’ve turned their sights to other folks in need, giving $1 to MealShare for every mask they sell.

“We’re not going to give up. To give up is not an option."

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