Chef Shaun McConnell has called Saskatchewan home for his entire life, growing up on a cattle and grain farm just outside the small town of Glaslyn, SK. There he learned the meaning of hard work and a great understanding of the definition of farm to table. His earliest memories in the kitchen are of him and his grandmother making cinnamon buns on the family farm at the age of 8. Later, as a teenager, Shaun was captivated by food through travel. On a family vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is where he experienced another culture through humble ingredients for the first time, Shaun knew he wanted to pursue a culinary career.

He enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and with the work ethic he learned growing up on the farm, Shaun excelled and graduated with distinction in 2012. Working at Riverside Country Club straight out of school, as well as many other notable Saskatoon restaurants during the winter months, Shaun honed his skills and knowledge to help form the culinary vision you see at Riverside today. 

He has received his Canadian Red Seal as a Journeyman and will now pursue his Certified Chef de Cuisine (CCC), the highest attainable culinary designation in Canada. He was invited in 2018 & 2019 to compete in Canada’s Great Kitchen Party (formerly Gold Medal Plates), an exclusive cooking competition for the top chefs across Canada, where he won a bronze medal in 2019. He has also been part of multiple gold & silver medal-winning teams with Riverside Country Club at CGKP (GMP), as well as Sous Chef at The Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna, British Columbia. With his love of travel and the culinary traditions of the countries he visits, Shaun brings the philosophy of “globally inspired, locally sourced” to Riverside Country Club and its members.