New Year, New Team: Introducing Our New Chefs at Fit Kitchen
As we step into a new year, we’re excited to start the year with some fantastic news! Two incredible chefs are joining the Fit Kitchen family. Please give a warm welcome to our new Head Chef and Sous Chef, Chef Mike Pears and Chef Eva Umana. With years of culinary expertise and a passion for healthy, delicious food, they’re ready to bring fresh ideas and exciting new meals to our menu. From innovative recipes to elevated flavours, 2025 is looking tastier than ever! Curious to learn more about the creative minds behind your new favorite Fit Kitchen dishes? In this two-part series, we’ll sit down with both chefs to explore their stories and inspirations.
First up, let’s meet our Sous Chef Eva
When did you start cooking, and what inspired you to become a chef?
I started cooking professionally in 2020 but have always loved being in the kitchen. As a kid, I spent hours critiquing the skills of MasterChef contestants with my best friends and was obsessed with Food Network. I always felt drawn to food but didn’t realize how much until I started working in restaurants in 2018. I began as a server but quickly wanted a different challenge to tackle.
After working in a few other restaurant positions and spending a few years at the University of Calgary studying Latin American studies, I began my first official kitchen job and fell in love. I spent two years working in an incredible kitchen where I met life-long mentors whom I credit a lot of my passion coming from. I feel inspired every day by the leadership I was able to learn from while I was there and the relationships I built. During those years, I learned how to lead as I continued to hone my culinary skills and reached a spot where I felt ready to branch out.
What’s your favourite part about being a chef?
There is an incredible amount of space for chefs to lead and inspire in the culinary industry. I am eternally grateful to be a part of an industry that is able to help develop and grow people each and every day!
What’s your all-time favourite meal?
My all-time favourite meal, that I will tell everyone about at least once if you let me, is a dish called pupusas. They
are stuffed corn tortillas that my dad made while I was growing up. Typically, we stuffed them with cheese, zucchini and served them with a pickled coleslaw and tomato sauce. My passion for Latin culture and food is very much inspired by my dad, who immigrated from Guatemala to Canada when he was a teenager.
Why did you choose to join the Fit Kitchen team?
I spent a lot of time thinking about what the future held for me in 2025, who I wanted to be, and what I wanted to be up to. I decided that if an opportunity came up that I would pursue it and see where it took me! Shortly after, I was contacted by a recruiter who connected me with Mike. During our first interview, and second with Jason, I knew that this is where I wanted to be.
What are your favourite hobbies? (Besides cooking, lol!)
I LOVE music. I’ve been writing and playing instruments since 2017 and am constantly finding inspirations for my next songs.
What is your best cooking secret?
Make mistakes and have fun with it! If you think a recipe needs some tweaking, GO FOR IT. You’ll never know what new favourites you might create along the way.
Welcome Aboard Chef Eva!
We’re so excited to have Chef Eva on the team and can’t wait for you to taste her incredible creations in 2025! Ready to get started? Order online now!
