The Drake Hotel appoints Taylor McMeekin as new executive chef

Chef Taylor, who helmed kitchens at The Chase and Mildred’s Temple Kitchen before his most recent role at Fogo Island Fish, brings his deep passion for local sourcing, sustainability, regenerative agriculture and community support to The Drake’s menus.

And he’s already hard at work in the kitchen at 1150 Queen Street West. Chef Taylor’s new menus will debut on Wednesday, June 21, and promise to surprise both new guests and Drake regulars. Seasonal highlights on this summer menu will include jerk-braised lamb ribs, served with jalapeño cornbread from his mother’s recipe, vegan bolognese with bucatini, and Panzanella with Ontario heirloom tomatoes and Monforte pecorino fresco.

“At The Drake, we care deeply about food and drink; where it comes from, how it’s made, and how we serve it,” explains George Sovatzis, general manager, The Drake Hotel. “In Chef Taylor, we found a kindred spirit. Someone who understands that food is more than a collection of ingredients on a plate; it’s the story of every supplier, every partner, and every passionate maker working together to craft a meal.”

As both a chef ambassador and business lead at Fogo Island Fish, Chef Taylor has spent years championing the organization’s work to bring premium, ethically harvested North Atlantic cod and seafood to fine dining restaurants across Canada. He also has longstanding relationships with organizations including 100 km Foods, Organic Ocean and Oceanwise. Chef Taylor credits his upbringing in rural Ontario with inspiring his commitment to sustainably-sourced food.

“I grew up outdoors. If I wasn’t hiking with my mom in search of wild edibles, I was fishing with my dad, standing on the riverbank and watching the sunrise. The serenity of those experiences made them some of the best and most memorable times in my life, and they’ve absolutely shaped me into the chef I am today,” explains Chef Taylor. “I’ve always believed that food is a community, and I think that’s why I feel so completely at home at The Drake - which has, above all else, always been a centre for community.”

Chef Taylor’s new menu joins an already bustling food and beverage program at The Drake Hotel, which unveiled its vibrant five-storey, 32-room Modern Wing expansion in 2021. The hotel offers a deep cocktail menu and dining from morning to night, including renowned sushi that has been on the menu since its opening in 2004. Guests can also enjoy weekday happy hour specials, Tuesday half-price bottles of wine during Wine Down, and Sunday’s High Tea + High Tops: a curated menu of teas, jellies, jams and provisions from Foodpreneur Lab, a Canadian Black women-founded nonprofit dedicated to advancing racial and gender equity in the food sector.

“Food gives me purpose, and it gives me joy,” Chef Taylor concludes. “I can’t wait to share that with everyone who walks through the doors at The Drake.”