Bistro '67, Durham College's teaching-inspired restaurant at the Whitby campus, has been recognized as one of the town's most popular dining spots after winning two Reader's Choice Awards for Whitby this summer.
According to the Ontario Chronicle, the restaurant earned a Diamond award in the Best Bang for Your Buck category and a Platinum award for Best Vegetarian Restaurant.
A restaurant run by students, from field to table
The restaurant operates as a living classroom, with Durham College students handling nearly every step of the dining experience. Horticulture Food and Farming and Horticulture Technician students grow and harvest ingredients on campus grounds.
In the kitchen, Culinary Skills and Culinary Management students turn those ingredients into the dishes on the menu. Hospitality Skills and Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management students complete the experience by welcoming and serving guests.
Lori Saint, General Manager of the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, told the Ontario Chronicle that the restaurant's success is a team effort that reflects the college's commitment to experiential learning and innovation.
"Our students are at the heart of everything we do, and it's rewarding to know that our guests value both the dining experience and the opportunity to support student learning," she said. "The restaurant is a collaborative learning environment where education and industry come together."
Fresh produce behind the vegetarian win
When it comes to the Platinum award for vegetarian dining, Saint credited the students and staff who work the fields at the Whitby campus, along with the Barrett Centre for Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture's Ajax farm.
"It speaks to one of the things that makes Bistro '67 unique," she said. "We love collaborating with the Barrett Centre team and are continually inspired by the incredible produce they grow. Having access to such fresh, seasonal ingredients allows our chefs and students to be creative, and it's incredibly rewarding to see our guests embrace those dishes."
The college has built the restaurant's reputation on sustainable food systems, hands-on training and local partnerships — an approach the Whitby community has embraced, the Ontario Chronicle reported.
For Saint, the awards recognize more than the food on the plate. They point to the broader mission of a restaurant where education and industry share the same space.
"Bistro '67 allows students to develop valuable real-world skills while providing guests with fresh, seasonal cuisine," said Saint. "This award is a recognition of that shared commitment to excellence across the college."
The Reader's Choice wins add to a growing profile for the Whitby campus dining destination, where every meal doubles as a training opportunity for the next generation of Durham Region's food and hospitality workers.
