Longtime chef at Calgary hotel is hanging up the apron after 33 years

It’s not very often you spend more than three decades in one job—and in one kitchen. Richard Thomas is handing down his apron at the Glenmore Inn.

It has been Richard Thomas’ bread and butter, heading up the kitchen at The Glenmore Inn & Convention Centre for more than three decades, but on Wednesday he is retiring.

Thomas has been the executive chef at the hotel for 33 years. He has trained his protégé for the last two years, who will take over starting Thursday.

“For the first month, I’m going to sleep in,” Thomas said.

• Sign up for breaking news alerts from CTV News, right at your fingertips
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Thomas says the day has been coming but feels apprehensive about the final hours.

“I’ve been a part of this hotel from its lows all the way to its grand highs,” he said.

“Some of the people in here, I married them when I first got here and now I’m marrying their children.”

General manager Perry Wilford says he has been at the inn for 31 years, and the pair’s relationship has evolved into a close friendship.

“He’s the longest-serving chef of any hotel in the city of Calgary at the same property,” said Wilford.

“When I got here, he had already been here two years. So, I’ve been with this guy longer than most marriages.”

Wilford and Thomas say his Wild West buffets were truly iconic.

“Wild West buffets were actually, for me, cooking pinnacle buffets going in the process,” said Thomas.

They featured typical Alberta game meats, but with a flavour of world delicacies.

“It started off innocently enough; you’ve got your bison, you’ve got your elk and things like that,” said Wilford.

“Well, he got bored of that pretty quick and our guests were looking to see what was next. So, the next safe bets were wild boar and then pheasant. Well, he ended up going to alligator and kangaroo and diamondback rattlesnake and we did the prairie oysters.”

Corben Angelo has dined at the hotel for the last 20 years. He says he will miss Chef Thomas but believes the kitchen is in good hands.

“I think the food will be consistently good because he wouldn’t leave if it wasn’t,” said Angelo.

“And I’m sure he’ll come and check it once in a while.”

Angelo says he tries to eat there at least once a week with friends, talking about life and the food.

“One day, I made a complaint that he had pearl onions in with the beets, and I just said it to the waitress,” he said.

“And then the next week, he came up and said, ‘So what’s your problem? Oh, I don’t have a problem.’”

Angelo and Thomas built a bond, one Angelo says he’s thankful for.

“It’s been a great run, and the owners of the hotel are very lucky that they’ve had him for this long. I think that’s probably the best tribute we can give him,” said Angelo.

“He comes in and asks if there’s anything needing improvement. And there never is, Richard runs a really tight ship, and I have a feeling that the fellow (who’s) taken over will be just as good.”

Thomas began his culinary journey at SAIT before being part of the industry for more than 40 years, spending 35 as a chef and 33 of those at the hotel.