Name

Tyler Gallant and Christine Murnaghan

Occupation

Chefs and Owner of Gallant's & Co. Island Food to Go

Tell us about your business.

Gallant’s & Co. was started in 2016 and we have evolved many times over the years to get to where we are today. We now have a year-round brick and mortar facility where we operate a busy catering company as well as a lunch spot for customers to enjoy meals (dine-in or take-out).

What were you doing prior to opening this business?

I had been working as a chef for 20+ years and finally decided to take a leap and start something of my own. My wife, Christine was a product developer at Canada’s Smartest Kitchen and she joined us full-time after the COVID-19 lockdown started.

Why did you get into this business?

It was always my goal to employ people and provide an enjoyable work environment and a pay cheque at the end of the week. By opening Gallant’s, we’ve done that and that makes me really happy.

What does your team look like?

We usually have around 8-12 people year-round with numbers increasing in the summertime. Our goal has always been to employ people year-round. Employee retention is important to us.

What are some of the PEI products that you use in your kitchen?

We use all local proteins from fish, shellfish, poultry, meats, etc. We bring in a variety of products from local farmers on PEI. If it’s available locally, that’s what we use.

Why do you think using local is important?

The secret to having great food is starting off with a great product. PEI happens to grow some amazing products - the flavour, the colour, and the quality are always higher when using PEI products. It’s pretty simple, when you give a cook a really good product to work with, it’s only going to inspire them to be more creative.

What are some of your favourite PEI foods?

I think my favourite PEI foods are the most simple like an oyster that you can just shuck and eat. Lobster is always the most exciting food for me. Every May, getting that first lobster fresh off the boat and cooking up pounds of them, that’s exciting to me. And then there’s a classic burger and fries. I started my career in fast food. I then went on to attend the Culinary Institute of Canada and now in my business, I’m still serving up juicy burgers and fries. Food doesn’t have to be fancy. Simple and delicious is my favourite.

What are some of the things you hear your customers say about Gallant’s?

One thing that is always surprising is how excited people are when they walk into this building. Often times people are overwhelmed with how many things we have available for them. I think that the quality speaks for itself and people notice that.

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