Nelson Borges

Born in Portugal, Nelson immigrated to Canada at the young age of three. His passion for food and entertaining came from his mother who spent all of her free time cooking. His European influence and Canadian culture have been the foundation for his flavourful and regional cooking style. Nelson was raised in Leamington, a small town in southwestern Ontario with a very small population but rich in agriculture. 

Nelson attended the St. Clair College’s hospitality program in Windsor, Ontario, and apprenticed at “The Other Place Restaurant” under master chef Emilio Salamone. He worked as a chef in Atlanta, Toronto, Lisbon and Windsor before making the move to Ottawa and accepting the position of sous-chef at the famous Chateau Laurier Hotel. In 2000, he accepted the position of executive chef at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel. He joined the Ottawa Westin Hotel in 2006 and the Sheraton Centre Toronto in 2011. Nelson donates numerous hours to local charities and is past president of the Ottawa-Gatineau chapter of “Les Toques Blanche International”.