About Voula Halliday

Voula is a Cordon Bleu certified chef, food expert and professional recipe developer, cookbook author, illustrator, independent publisher (Cast Iron Press), college curriculum developer and educator.

 Her writing has appeared in print and digital formats in a variety of publications, including Bon Appétit, Canadian Living, National Post, Zoomer, Fresh Juice, Reader’s Digest Canada, Best Health, Food & Drink, and Chatelaine, where she was a contributing editor and associate culinary expert in their test kitchen for several years.

 Voula was an In-House Chef Expert on CBC Television’s award-winning show Steven and Chris. She showcased her fuss-free cooking and recipes to national and syndicated audiences. She has appeared on a variety of radio and television shows sharing tips and insights on food and cooking.

She is the author two cookbooks, Eat at Home, featuring more than 150 recipes, and Flavour Fix Your Burger. Voula has also published an illustrated recipe card collection (the first in the series is Greek Spoon Sweets). She is working on her third cookbook, Flavour Fix Everything, along with a Flavour Fix product line. In the past, Voula contributed to a variety of poetry zines and is the author of several poetry chapbooks. She is currently creating an illustrated Greek recipe collection (a cook's chapbook) and a poetry chapbook.

Voula was born in Toronto and lived there until 2020, when she and her family moved to the beautiful Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes District in Ontario.

Other information about Voula:

Voula was Co-Chair of the advisory board that launched the Food Media post-graduate program at Centennial College School of Hospitality and Tourism, Toronto. She developed curricula for the program and taught for several years as an Adjunct Professor.

Voula was on the team of experts that launched the world’s first eco-points program - Green Rewards. When the leadership team at the AIR MILES® loyalty program acquired Green Rewards Voula was invited to join their Corporate Communications team to launch the rebranded Green Rewards “My Planet” rewards program: “an environmental initiative designed to inspire and enable Collectors to take simple steps toward environmental sustainability by learning more about sustainable choices and redeeming their reward miles for a selection of over 100 new rewards that are better for the planet.”

For many years Voula has been an active member of Slow Food International. She has hosted workshops and led fundraising events working with partners such as The Brickworks, Toronto. She has represented Canada at key global events, and at the 6th Slow Food International Congress Meeting in Turin, Italy. Voula served as Chair on the Toronto and Canada boards of Slow Food.

Voula is one of five founding members who launched the internationally renowned annual Terroir Symposium in 2007. Since the launch of Terroir Hospitality, she has participated internationally as an on-site chef expert, educator, and event coordinator supporting Terroir’s gastrodiplomacy experiences worldwide.

Some years ago, Voula had the opportunity to lead a team of staff, volunteers, and apprentices in a commercial kitchen as the executive chef and program coordinator for a local Toronto District School Public School. Voula and her team provided delicious nutrient-rich morning meals/snacks and lunch to the students and teachers every day. Prepared from scratch, the dishes featured all-natural ingredients primarily sourced from local producers. She worked closely with partners who support a healthy food system, including Rowe Farms, The Toronto Foundation for Student Success, and FoodShare.

During the lockdown period of the pandemic, Voula volunteered with SaveHospitality.ca. She worked with the team sharing their mission, building outreach and awareness, and to communicate to all levels of government with urgency about the crisis brought on by the pandemic that shuttered independent restaurants, pushed small business owners into debt, and caused industry workers throughout the country to endure the challenges of employment and income loss.

You’ll find Voula actively engaging with her community when out and about at her local Farmers’ Markets, independent shops, and small businesses, prioritizing spending on local goods as a first choice. She is a board member and committee chair with the Art Gallery of Peterborough.