Dana Ewart
About the Teacher
Why study with them?
DANA EWART
While she is an undeniably fabulous baker, Dana also knows her way around many other areas of
the kitchen.
Dana attended the prestigious Stratford Chef’s School in Ontario, where she completed her
chef’s training with honors as well as an extensive pastry training program in 1998.
After completing her formal education, Dana worked as the head of pastry and garde manger at
the highly-regarded Avalon Restaurant in Toronto and under Normand Laprise at Toque! From
2000 until 2004 in Montreal. While in Montreal, Dana also staged and worked at many French
bakeries, such as Le Passe Partout and Le Fromontier, and as the pastry chef at Les Caprices de
Nicolas.
Dana has traveled to New York, California and France to study technique and theory with some
of the industry’s finest. An internship on Quadra Island early on in her culinary journey sparked
a natural affinity for sourcing superior ingredients, which remains a priority for her every day.
In 2005 Dana and her partner Cameron moved to the Okanagan Valley to help chef friend Heidi
Noble to teach cooking classes at her Naramata farm cooking school & winery JoieFarm. They
quickly settled into the community supported by the countless requests to cater for local winery
events and weddings. This organically led to the inception of Joy Road Catering which they ran
for 15 years.
Joy Road specialized in highly regarded locally sourced cuisine showcasing the wealth of bounty
available in the Okanagan Valley. They attended the Naramata and Penticton Farmers’ Markets,
selling artisan baking. JRC hosted legendary long table vineyard and orchard dinners featuring
local winemakers, farmers, First Nation Elders, foragers and food artisans.
The company they built was featured in The Globe & Mail, National Post, New York Times,
Western Living, many wedding magazines for their bonified unparalleled farm to table events
Dana and Cam were asked to represent the Okanagan at Terra Madre, a Slow Food convivium
that takes place every 2 years in Turin Italy in 2013, and later Dana arranged the meals partnered
with Chefs from all over the Valley for the National Slow food meeting which was held in
Osoyoos.
Their renowned catering company cooked for many wineries, catered hundreds of weddings and
fed many wonderful guests until they sold the business in 2019.
Dana continues to bake at the Naramata Centre Kitchen for her Micro-bakery called GRIST
(named after the heritage Grist Mill site in Keromeos, Similkameen Valley) Grist Microbaker
She can also be found each Saturday at the Penticton Farmers’ Market selling organic artisan
breads & pastries.
While she is an undeniably fabulous baker, Dana also knows her way around many other areas of
the kitchen.
Dana attended the prestigious Stratford Chef’s School in Ontario, where she completed her
chef’s training with honors as well as an extensive pastry training program in 1998.
After completing her formal education, Dana worked as the head of pastry and garde manger at
the highly-regarded Avalon Restaurant in Toronto and under Normand Laprise at Toque! From
2000 until 2004 in Montreal. While in Montreal, Dana also staged and worked at many French
bakeries, such as Le Passe Partout and Le Fromontier, and as the pastry chef at Les Caprices de
Nicolas.
Dana has traveled to New York, California and France to study technique and theory with some
of the industry’s finest. An internship on Quadra Island early on in her culinary journey sparked
a natural affinity for sourcing superior ingredients, which remains a priority for her every day.
In 2005 Dana and her partner Cameron moved to the Okanagan Valley to help chef friend Heidi
Noble to teach cooking classes at her Naramata farm cooking school & winery JoieFarm. They
quickly settled into the community supported by the countless requests to cater for local winery
events and weddings. This organically led to the inception of Joy Road Catering which they ran
for 15 years.
Joy Road specialized in highly regarded locally sourced cuisine showcasing the wealth of bounty
available in the Okanagan Valley. They attended the Naramata and Penticton Farmers’ Markets,
selling artisan baking. JRC hosted legendary long table vineyard and orchard dinners featuring
local winemakers, farmers, First Nation Elders, foragers and food artisans.
The company they built was featured in The Globe & Mail, National Post, New York Times,
Western Living, many wedding magazines for their bonified unparalleled farm to table events
Dana and Cam were asked to represent the Okanagan at Terra Madre, a Slow Food convivium
that takes place every 2 years in Turin Italy in 2013, and later Dana arranged the meals partnered
with Chefs from all over the Valley for the National Slow food meeting which was held in
Osoyoos.
Their renowned catering company cooked for many wineries, catered hundreds of weddings and
fed many wonderful guests until they sold the business in 2019.
Dana continues to bake at the Naramata Centre Kitchen for her Micro-bakery called GRIST
(named after the heritage Grist Mill site in Keromeos, Similkameen Valley) Grist Microbaker
She can also be found each Saturday at the Penticton Farmers’ Market selling organic artisan
breads & pastries.
