Dale MacKay

{{short description|Canadian chef}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2022}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}

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{{prose|date=April 2020}}

{{Infobox chef

| name = Dale MacKay

| image = Chef Dale MacKay (15840062656).jpg

| caption = MacKay in 2014

| birth_date =

| birth_place =Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

| death_date =

| death_place =

| dead =

| style =

| education =

| ratings =

| restaurants = Little Grouse on the Prairie, Saskatoon
Avenue, Regina

| prevrests = ensemble, Vancouver (2011-2012)
ensembleTap, Vancouver (2011-2012)
Home Slice Pizza Shoppe, Saskatoon (2015-2016)
Ayden Kitchen and Bar, Saskatoon (2013-2023)
Sticks and Stones, Saskatoon (2017-2023)
F&B Restaurant, Saskatoon (2023-2024)

| television = Top Chef Canada (season 1)
Iron Chef Gauntlet (season 2)
Wall of Chefs
Fire Masters

| awards =

| website =

}}

Dale MacKay is a Canadian chef and the winner of the first season of Top Chef Canada in 2011.{{Cite news |date=July 5, 2011 |title=Former Vancouver fry cook wins Top Chef Canada |publisher=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/former-vancouver-fry-cook-wins-top-chef-canada-1.1067026 |access-date=January 11, 2014}}

MacKay first entered the food industry as a fry cook in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the early 2000s, he moved to London, England, where he got a job at Gordon Ramsay's Claridge's, later moving to other Ramsay restaurants in London, Tokyo and New York City. He later became executive chef at Daniel Boulud's Lumière restaurant in Vancouver, following the departure of Rob Feenie from the establishment in 2007, until its closure in 2011.{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Charlie |date=February 27, 2011 |title=Lumiere and db Bistro Moderne restaurants will close on March 13 |work=The Georgia Straight |url=https://www.straight.com/blogra/lumiere-and-db-bistro-moderne-restaurants-will-close-march-13 |accessdate=January 11, 2014}}

He opened his own pair of restaurants, ensemble and ensembleTap, in 2011. He won the Top Chef Canada title soon afterward, investing his prize money in the venues, but closed them in 2012 after determining that rental costs in downtown Vancouver were too expensive for them to become profitable.{{Cite news |last=Da Silva |first=Michelle |date=August 27, 2012 |title=Chef Dale MacKay closes ensemble and ensembleTap restaurants |work=The Georgia Straight |url=https://www.straight.com/food/chef-dale-mackay-closes-ensemble-and-ensembletap-restaurants |accessdate=January 11, 2014}}

He made a return appearance on Top Chef Canada in 2013, acting as sous chef to third season finalist Danny Francis.

In early 2013, MacKay announced that he was returning to his hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to open a new restaurant.{{Cite news |last=Da Silva |first=Michelle |date=February 15, 2013 |title=Vancouver chef Dale MacKay to open new restaurant in Saskatoon |work=The Georgia Straight |url=https://www.straight.com/food/353281/vancouver-chef-dale-mackay-open-new-restaurant-saskatoon |accessdate=January 11, 2014}} The restaurant, named Ayden Kitchen & Bar, opened on November 15, 2013 and operated until July 8, 2023.{{Cite news |date=May 21, 2013 |title=Top Chef opening local spot |work=The StarPhoenix |publisher=Postmedia Network |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/story.html?id=8416377 |accessdate=January 11, 2014 |archive-date=January 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125162430/http://www.thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/story.html?id=8416377 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite news |last=Stainsby |first=Mia |date=November 15, 2013 |title=Dale MacKay opens Ayden Kitchen and Bar |work=The Vancouver Sun |publisher=Postmedia Network |url=http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2013/11/15/dale-mackay-opens-ayden-kitchen-and-bar/ |url-status=dead |accessdate=January 11, 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212104659/http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2013/11/15/dale-mackay-opens-ayden-kitchen-and-bar/ |archivedate=December 12, 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/sticks-and-stones-avenue-dojo-ramen-restaurants-kitchen-bar-inflation-1.6849439 |title=Sticks and Stones, Ayden Kitchen and Bar serving their last meals |publisher=CBC News |date=May 21, 2023 |access-date=October 11, 2024}} He is currently the owner of two restaurants: Little Grouse on the Prairie (Italian) in Saskatoon,{{Cite news |last=MacPherson |first=Alex |date=February 18, 2016 |title=Dale MacKay is changing the way Saskatoon eats |work=The StarPhoenix |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/business/local-business/dale-mackay-is-changing-the-way-saskatoon-eats |accessdate=March 20, 2017}} and Avenue Restaurant in Regina.{{Cite news |date=June 6, 2018 |title=Top Chef winner opens 1st Regina restaurant |publisher=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/top-chef-winner-opens-first-regina-restaurant-1.4699885 |accessdate=December 6, 2018}} He also owned three other restaurants in Saskatoon: Sticks and Stones (Korean),{{Cite news |last=MacPherson |first=Alex |date=February 2, 2017 |title=Dale MacKay group to make third Saskatoon restaurant a family affair |work=The StarPhoenix |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/business/local-business/dale-mackay-group-to-make-third-saskatoon-restaurant-a-family-affair |accessdate=March 20, 2017}} F&B Restaurant,{{cite news |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/business/local-business/top-chef-dale-mackay-opens-fb-restaurant-with-constantly-changing-saskatchewan-fare |title=Top Chef Dale MacKay opens F&B Restaurant with constantly changing Saskatchewan fare |last=Rice |first=Don |work=The StarPhoenix |date=September 26, 2023 |access-date=October 11, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DAdw78ji2Ll/?hl=en |title=Join us tonight for our last service! |website=F&B Restaurant - Instagram |date=September 28, 2024 |access-date=October 11, 2024}} and Home Slice Pizza Shoppe.

MacKay competed on the second season of Iron Chef Gauntlet, where he was eliminated in the second round.{{Cite news |date=March 4, 2018 |title=Saskatoon's Dale MacKay to compete on 'Iron Chef Gauntlet' cooking show |publisher=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/dale-mackay-iron-chef-1.4561904 |accessdate=December 6, 2018}}

In 2019 he began appearing as a rotating judge on the BBQ competition series Fire Masters, which airs in Canada on Food Network and in the US on Cooking Channel.

In 2020 he appeared as a judge on the Food Network competition series Wall of Chefs.

In 2023, MacKay competed against 15 other chefs in Top Chef: World All-Stars, placing tenth.