Marriott Taps Chef Ned Bell for North American Chef Excellence Workshop

Field Notes
Written By Kate Colley

Marriott Taps Chef Ned Bell for North American Chef Excellence Workshop

Marriott invited Ned to speak with dozens of senior culinary leaders from across North America about sustainable seafood, food systems, and changing how large organizations source food.

Ned brought a rare mix of insight and hands-on experience, gained from leading change across hotels, hospitals, education, and agriculture. During five years as Executive Chef at YEW Seafood + Bar, he helped make Four Seasons Vancouver Canada’s first luxury hotel with full Ocean Wise certification. His work has since extended to the Planetary Health hospital food initiative, Okanagan College’s new Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism, and Buy BC.

As founder of Chefs for Oceans and the only Canadian chef on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Blue Ribbon Task Force, Ned also brought a national and international perspective on sustainable seafood.

Each chef left with a signed copy of Ned’s book and practical ideas for their own kitchens. Stephen Toevs, Marriott’s Vice President of Culinary for Global Operations, called the session “truly first class.”

Kate Colley

Kate Colley has worked across nearly every format hospitality offers — destinations, resorts, hotels, restaurants, wineries, and major events — and she brings all of it to every engagement. She led the host property communications strategy for Canada’s G7 Leaders’ Summit at Kananaskis and spent a decade as Director of Communications for Four Seasons Vancouver and Whistler. She has also been an operator — co-owning Naramata Inn, tripling revenue during a pandemic, and doing the kinds of risky, exciting things that look obvious in hindsight. She is a strategist, a marketer, an operator, and an advisor — and oftentimes the person who walks into your business, spots the gap between where you are and where you could be, and helps close it.

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Chef Ned Bell Inducted into the 2026 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame