Greg
Smith, CFM
Senior Director of Food and Beverage
Greg Smith, CFM
Senior Director of Food and Beverage
With over four decades of experience in the hospitality industry, Greg Smith leads our award-winning food and beverage team. He feels privileged for the opportunity to continue his passion for delivering extraordinary food services to guests in our new and iconic Halifax Convention Centre.
Greg attributes his success to his diverse team of culinary professionals, and it’s no secret that they take great pride in the food we serve. Through Greg’s leadership, his team continues to review and refine our service offerings to ensure we remain up-to-date on the latest trends and continue to deliver a strong customer experience.
With each client that walks through our doors, Greg takes the time to learn about their event needs so that he and his team can work together to deliver a truly unforgettable culinary experience. He wants everyone near and far to be as excited about eating in Nova Scotia’s new Halifax Convention Centre as we are!
Donald Berkman, CFM
Food and Beverage Manager
Our Food and Beverage Manager Donnie Berkman was on his way to becoming an accountant before his culinary calling led him to join our team. He was drawn to the unique and diverse nature of the business, with every event bringing new and exciting opportunities to collaborate with event planners to develop a menu that meets their needs.
Since stepping into the hospitality industry, Donnie has held many roles, including stewarding, front-desk agent, sales, marketing and catering. He credits his team’s culinary success to their collaborative approach of working toward a common goal – that every event is exceptional. As a certified food and beverage manager for TIANS, Donnie strives to provide each guest with a memorable experience during their time in Nova Scotia.
Local flavours inspire our culinary creations, and this is something that Donnie and his team pride themselves on. You can find a lot of this Nova Scotia influence in our new Halifax Convention Centre menu! Dig in here.
Christophe Luzeux, CCC
Executive Chef
Our Executive Chef, Christophe Luzeux – or Chef, as he’s known as around here – is a world-renowned, award-winning culinary artist, having received many regional, national and international accolades for his work.
Originally from France, Chef touched down in Halifax nearly three decades ago; the personable, lively city that now continually makes him proud to call home. As a veteran member of the Halifax Convention Centre team, Chef often says that his culinary team responds to today’s client needs with the same passion and professionalism they did over 25 years ago. For Chef, his team is a key part of his daily inspiration.
When he’s not preparing delicious cuisine, Chef enjoys home renovation projects and searching for antiques. His ideal day in Nova Scotia includes taking in the scenery on the South Shore, exploring Lunenburg and Mahone Bay. Or, venturing to the Annapolis Valley to experience the finest that wine country has to offer.
Kevin Leggat
Executive Sous Chef
Kevin has worked for more than 20 years in kitchens around the world, initially learning techniques in Toronto and while traveling through Southeast Asia and Indochina. He returned to Canada to work at the Fairmont Château Lake Louise in Alberta before moving to Vancouver to work at the Opus Hotel during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Ever the adventurer, Kevin found himself back in Paris and then the French Alps working alongside prestigious chefs in a gastronomic kitchen.
As the Executive Sous Chef here at the Halifax Convention Centre, Kevin plans and designs customized event menus as a culinary point of contact with our guests and clients. He administers, coordinates, and helps execute culinary requirements during events, and finds fulfillment in coaching, and mentoring members of our culinary teams.
When Kevin’s not in the kitchen, you can find him out hiking, fishing, going to concerts, or practicing archery. He also has a passion for scuba diving, and he looks forward to diving off our coastal shores.
Charmaine Roma
Sous Chef
Charmaine’s team prepares nearly all of our delicious selections from scratch, providing our clients and their delegates with a flexible menu that can accommodate dietary restrictions, custom creations and more. Our team is always looking for ways to infuse local flavours and ingredients into our dishes to give delegates a taste of Nova Scotia.
Our Sous Chef, Charmaine, is an outstanding food industry professional and she has the hardware to back it up! Charmaine has her Red Seal certification and won the 2017 Culinarian of the Year award from the Nova Scotia Association of Chefs and Cooks. Outside our kitchen, Charmaine volunteers at the Dartmouth North Community Centre teaching cooking skills to youth. Charmaine loves working with her diverse, award-winning team and looks forward to helping you create the very best event and culinary experience for your guests.
Gary Chin
Sous Chef
When it comes to mentorship and teamwork, we couldn’t find a better leader for our culinary team than Gary. A Red Seal Chef with over 27 years of experience in the culinary industry, Gary has worked with culinary teams from across Canada. Before joining our team, Gary worked as a faculty member at the Nova Scotia Community College in the Culinary Management program. He is also certified in Adult Education and is involved in many industry and community organizations.
Gary began his career at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, where he obtained his Journeyman Certificate. Since then, he has worked in upscale hospitality and mentorship roles in Alberta, Ontario, and Nova Scotia before joining our team as Sous Chef. He is happiest when helping to refine the skills and successes of our award-winning culinary team and helping to support the next generation of culinary experts.