Meet Nestlé Professional’s Customer Development Chef

About Chef Rick Secko

Chef Rick Secko is Nestlé Professional Canada’s Customer Development Chef.

With his culinary experience spanning over more than three decades, Chef Rick is an expert in the field. He holds a Red Seal certification and has had the chance to work with experienced Executive Chefs during his career. Rick began working in different kitchens when he was very young, and these experiences fueled his love for cooking.

Chef Rick has had a diverse career in the restaurant industry. He held various roles at Prime Restaurants, including being Culinary Lead for New Restaurant Openings, serving as the Corporate Brand Chef for places like Casey’s Bar & Grill and Pat & Mario’s, and leading East Side Mario’s as Brand Chef for six years.

After that, Chef Rick joined Cara Operations as the Culinary Manager for the Prime Restaurant Brand.

Later, he worked with the Product Innovation team, creating lunch and dinner concepts for RBI/Tim Horton’s, before moving on to his current role as Customer Development Chef at Nestlé Professional Canada. In this role, he collaborates with foodservice teams across Canada to help them grow, innovate, and solve operational challenges with creative culinary solutions.

Chef Rick Secko's innovative approach and hands-on experience enable him to discover products and culinary solutions that meet the ever-evolving needs of today's and tomorrow's consumers.

An Interview with Chef Rick Secko

How did your passion for cooking begin?

“I watched and helped cook with my grandmother when I was young when we visited her house. I loved the aromas, and being the oldest child of 4, I was able to help out and get to taste first with my grandmother. My family has an Eastern European background, specifically Slovak, and we used to walk to the local bakeries and butchers to pick up ingredients. I loved the aroma of each store as we walked in together to gather products for our lunch.  When I got older, at around 14 years old, I worked as a butcher's assistant at the local grocery store. During the summer, I was a pot washer in the bakery at the Cara Flight Kitchen, and later, I worked at a local Chinese food restaurant as an order packer and prep helper. I was always interested in food – flavours, how to prepare and wanted to experience new flavours and cuisines.”

What does your day-to-day look like as Nestlé Professional’s Customer Development Chef?

“The job is exciting and always interesting because each day is different. My main job is to showcase the Nestlé Professional products to our customers. How I perform this task changes based on who the customer and their end consumer are. Usually, our goal is to demonstrate how our products can seamlessly integrate into their operations, enhancing taste, flavour, and consistency. This, in turn, leads to greater guest satisfaction. Consequently, I'm consistently developing concepts to highlight our products and then presenting them to our customers. Additionally, I have the opportunity to take part in trade shows, culinary events, and Nestlé's internal events throughout the year.”

From your perspective, what Foodservice Industry challenges do Nestlé Professional’s products help Chefs overcome?

“Consistency in execution is what Nestlé Professional products deliver. Whether it’s Minor’s, Stouffer’s, Trio, or our Nestlé Professional products – They deliver consistency each day, with each cook and each dish.”

How do you find recipe inspiration?

“I love food and Southern Ontario is a great place to experience food – whether it is through different neighbourhoods, restaurants, festivals, fairs, local farmers, or producers. There is so much to see and experience.”