When French company Calvet Kitchen was looking for nine chefs around the world to help it create menu items to pair with its renowned wine selection, it ended up finding one of them right here in Cambridge.
Darryl Fletcher, who goes by Chef D and operates a catering and events company out of a kitchen on Main Street, was chosen as the Canadian chef after a rep in Ontario put him forward for consideration.
When he heard he was being selected to represent Canada, it was a humbling moment for the experienced chef whose work includes guests television appearances and his own show, At Home with ChefD on Rogers.
"It blows my mind," Fletcher said of the opportunity.
"We have amazing chefs in Canada and they said 'hey, we'd like to you to do it.'"
Once picked, he was assigned to make a chocolate mousse.
And while Fletcher is a lover of sweets, he admits making them is not his specialty when it comes to cooking.
Tasked with the challenge of whipping up the classic French dessert, Fletcher was determined to add Canadian style and flavour to his creation.
"We changed it up," Fletcher said.
"Instead of using sugar, I used maple syrup because I wanted to Canadianize it."
He then used fresh cranberries to create a coulis as a drizzle to top it off.
Fletcher's recipe has now been promoted by Calvet and is being translated into several languages worldwide, from French to Japanese and Spanish.
"It's as good as it gets," he said.
"I think, wow, it's pretty humbling to think about. This touches a whole bunch of other people."
By being recognized internationally for his work, Fletcher is hoping it translates into more attention for the many current and aspiring chefs across Waterloo region.
"We can do so much more in this area," he said.
"There are so many amazing chefs that don't get the notoriety or the chance to do something like this. I think this opens the door for that."