Matt Taylor | Age 30
Founder, Affinity Fish Inc., Toronto
Alongside business partner Jon Klip, Matt Taylor founded Affinity Fish in 2020 to provide people in Canada with a higher quality of fish and seafood through careful handling, minimizing animal suffering, and prioritizing sustainable fishing practices. A graduate of the Hospitality and Culinary Arts program at George Brown College, Taylor already had 15 years of experience in the foodservice industry before starting his own venture.
From highschool co-op placement to chef de cuisine at Sakai Bar, Taylor brings his passion for food to everything he does. While working at Ursa Restaurant, the young chef’s obsession with Japanese cuisine began, leading him down a rabbit-hole of research, including learning about ikejime (a Japanese method of killing and handling fish) and local wild-caught Great Lakes fish. This led him to ponder the challenge of sourcing quality local seafood in a country with the most freshwater in the world and ultimately to launching Affinity Fish.
“Matt was exceptional almost immediately, a naturally gifted individual, and despite never having seen food, process or philosophy like what we were striving towards, he quickly picked it up and outpaced any of the senior cooks in the kitchen,” recalls Jacob Sharkey Pearce, CEO/founder/chef, Foodways.
“Matt’s leadership role within the Affinity Fish community is needed,” says Justin Cournoyer, chef/own of Actinolite Restaurant. “He is guiding and teaching chefs, like myself, how we can contribute and support a more sustainable way to eat, serve fish to our guests and our families. Matt is committed to the growth of our industry, our region and is respected and appreciated.”
