Vancouver native Damon Campbell, brings over 20 years of cooking experiences to his new position as Executive Chef at Fairmont Pacific Rim. Praised for his dedication to ingredient-driven cuisine, and a passion for showcasing local producers and purveyors, he takes a globally inspired approach to his cooking style that lends itself to the culinary techniques refined through his years of international travels. His cooking career began in 1997 at West Vancouver’s former La Toque Blanche where he worked through the culinary ranks, ultimately leading to a position as Chef de Partie.
In 2000, Campbell’s career took flight and landed him at Michelin starred The French Laundry in Napa Valley under the culinary direction of acclaimed Thomas Keller. Vancouver called him back, and he joined the award-winning Diva at the Met in 2001, leading the creative development and culinary operation of the Vancouver’s beloved fine-dining destination. In 2008, he caught the travel bug once again, and joined the Shangri-La group in Kuala Lampur and the Philippines. Moving back on home soil in 2012, Campbell joined the opening team at Shangri-La Toronto where he oversaw the culinary operation and its signature restaurant, Bosk.
Returning back to his hometown of Vancouver in 2016, Campbell joined Browns Restaurant Group as the Culinary Director, where he oversaw the culinary direction of the restaurant brands and launched two new concept brands during his tenure. No stranger to competition, Campbell has held the prestigious position of team captain for Culinary Team Canada in the Culinary Olympics and he competed in Switzerland and Luxembourg; leading the team to four gold medal victories.
Joining Fairmont Pacific Rim just weeks prior to an unprecedented time that the hospitality and restaurant industry is currently facing, Damon’s innovative approach has been instrumental in pivoting the interim culinary operation of Fairmont Pacific Rim, leading the restaurant executive chefs and team through programs like the Feed it Forward menu that saw one meal donated for every dish purchased to frontline health care workers, and Tastes of Pacific Rim Test Kitchen, highlighting signature dishes and newly developed recipes from the hotel’s collection of restaurants in the form of gourmet restaurant-style meal experiences designed to be created in the comfort of home kitchens.
When not leading the culinary operations you can find Campbell working on the next culinary developments, exploring Vancouver’s farmers’ markets, and getting his daily dose of exercise.
