With its skilled instructors and hands-on learning, the Stratford Chefs School has become one of the most exclusive and reputable culinary schools in Canada

BY CHERRI GREENO

When Mel Athulathmudali wants to express his creative side, he turns to the kitchen. For him, whipping up a tasty, gourmet meal is a way “to share myself with other people. I’ve always had a deep interest in cooking from the time I was a little kid,” the Dundas native says.

And that’s why, at 47 years of age, Athulathmudali is taking his love of cuisine to the next level — preparing to become a professional chef.

He is currently in his last year of a two-year program at the Stratford Chefs School, one of Canada’s most exclusive and reputable culinary schools. In fact, when Athulathmudali — who has worked as a flight attendant for the past