The entrepreneur behind the world’s first plant-based salmon shares his outlook on Toronto’s manufacturing and F&B sectors, plus his top spots in the city.
Being located in Toronto—considered the most multicultural city in the world and home to close to 10,000 restaurants—is a huge asset for Chris Bryson, the Founder and CEO of New School Foods, the maker of the world's first plant-based salmon fillet. “Toronto is very much a culinary-first city and people here are becoming more and more aware of what they’re eating,” Chris says. “We get to meet and receive feedback from so many different chefs. Just the sheer breadth of styles of cuisine is phenomenal in Toronto—you can get anything you want.”
“If we're going to have a meaningful impact for the planet, you can’t guilt people into doing that. You’ve got to tempt them into doing it.”
– Chris Bryson, Founder and CEO, New School Foods
Toronto is home to next-gen manufacturing and F&B businesses
Chris, now a disruptor in Toronto’s manufacturing and food and beverage (F&B) sectors, didn’t always work in these industries. He founded a software company called Unata in 2011, which was sold to Instacart in 2018. He then became personally passionate about sustainable foods.
“I'm very much an imposter in the food space in the sense that I don't have a background as an engineer or a cook or a food scientist,” Chris says. “I got into this because I really cared about the mission and the outcome of sustainable foods and about creating ways to enable people to change without it feeling like change. If we're going to have a meaningful impact for the planet, you can’t guilt people into doing that. You’ve got to tempt them into doing it.”
Chris and his team worked with Toronto Metropolitan University to develop a new production technology that would create the next generation of meat and seafood alternatives. The first product was a salmon filet completely made from plants—made to look, cook, taste and flake just like the real thing. Chris says that the soy-free fillets “have the same amount of omega-3s and the same amount of iron as fish, but without the mercury and the microplastics.”
Working directly with chefs and restaurants is one of Chris’ favourite parts of the job. The business, which is located in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, is close to many of the industry leaders that Chris turns to for opinions on his product. “It’s incredible being right downtown, because we can literally take our products across the street to the Gladstone Hotel and get their feedback.” Here, he shares his top spots across the city that are creative disruptors just like him.
Dive deep into Toronto’s coffee and breakfast culture
“I drink a lot of coffee,” Chris admits. “And there are about a dozen [coffee places] within a five-minute walk of the office.” These caffeine haunts include Rustic Cosmo Café, which has been in business for almost 30 years and considers itself “Parkdale’s original coffee house” and the retro-themed Larry’s Place, part of the Larry’s World coffee group, all named after the owner’s grandfather. “My favourite at the moment is Jimmy’s Coffee. Their coffee is so good and rich and creamy.” Jimmy’s lineup of pastries includes vegan and gluten-free options procured from local bakers.
Chris says he recently discovered Bad Attitude Bread, a vegan bakery that makes incredible pastries, including a plant-based croissant. “I come from Quebec, so I appreciate a good croissant,” he shares. And his ideal breakfast? Stefano’s Diner or Evviva for their plant-based breakfast or brunch. “Evviva has a vegan eggs benedict that is totally amazing,” he says.
Head for some green spaces—or get a bird’s eye view of them
Toronto is sometimes mistaken for all hustle and bustle. But the city is filled with surprises and has plenty of green spaces, too, from large parks to hidden beaches. One of Chris’s favourite places to go when he wants to chill out is the Lake Ontario waterfront. He also heads to Toronto Island—just a short ferry ride away from the city centre—or along the boardwalk from downtown to Mimico Village for a big walk. “It can fill up the whole day and it’s so relaxing,” he says.
Chris also likes to find a rooftop bar to enjoy a view of the skyline and the city’s green spaces, especially during the week when they’re not busy. “Hotel X has a phenomenal bar with an excellent view—vaulted ceilings, big glass windows—where you can look out over the city.”
Sample your way through the city’s best plant-forward eateries
Chris has a number of favourite spots to grab a meal or snack. He frequents the Fresh Kitchen + Juice Bar location on Queen Street, a vegan restaurant known for juice, bowls and plant-based versions of classics. “It's a nice balance of having a meal that almost seems indulgent without feeling like you're indulging,” Chris says. “I feel well-fed after a meal there.”
The Thai food at Bangkok Queen also wins Chris’s approval for its hip, street-market vibe and dedicated plant-based menu, as do two vegan taco restaurants: Taqueria Vegana in the Junction and Happy Taco near Bloor and Bathurst. Both of these small and cozy establishments deliver plant-based versions of Mexican classics with bold flavours, employing ingredients like jackfruit, oyster mushrooms and house-made sauces. “[Taqueria Vegana] is run by a couple that moved here from Mexico and they make the most incredible vegan tacos. Happy Taco is a bit more indulgent and it definitely lives up to its name; you feel happy every time you eat there.”
Gia Restaurant, one of the first restaurants in Canada to be recommended by the Michelin Guide, is also on Chris’s list. Its plant-forward Italian menu includes things like ripened cashew brie and a lion’s mane mushroom steak. “Their menu changes quite often,” says Chris. “A rotation of so many different things. I usually get whatever the latest pasta is. It’s always solid.”
And for a sweet treat, Chris says Honey’s has the best premium, plant-based ice cream in the city. “You won’t be able to tell the difference. I could fool anyone with that ice cream.”
Take in Toronto’s stellar live entertainment every night of the week
“I like going to see live music and live comedy,” Chris says. “Toronto has so many good live-music venues. I was at Budweiser Stage for Our Lady Peace and Collective Soul recently and a few weeks prior to that, Incubus was playing and they were phenomenal.” This venue is a seasonal rite of passage for Torontonians, its hybrid amphitheatre model making for more social concertgoing. Chris is also a fan of the east-end venue History, which was the brainchild of Toronto’s own Drake, as well as indie concert spot Danforth Music Hall, which began life as a silent-film theatre in 1919. It plays host to both new artists and legacy acts making a comeback.
The recently renovated Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Exhibition Place stages everything from film premieres and drag shows to indie music and ballet. “It’s a small venue no one seems to know about, but it has the best acoustics in the city,” Chris says. And Bloor Street’s Comedy Bar is his go-to for a night of laughs. “If you just want to drop in, they usually have top-tier talent.”
