Anthony Lawrence Sedlak (April 15, 1983 – July 4, 2012) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
and grew up in North Vancouver. At age 13, he began bussing at the
Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain is one of the North Shore Mountains of the Pacific Ranges in the North Vancouver (district municipality), District Municipality of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. With a maximum elevation of over 1,200m (4,100ft) at ...
cafeteria. He was soon promoted to the resort's main kitchen at 14, where he worked as production cook for what was then ''Bar 98''. By 16 he was working at the ''Grouse Nest'' restaurant (now ''The Observatory''). During this time he completed the Culinary Art Program at
Carson Graham Secondary School
Carson Graham Secondary is a public high school in the city of North Vancouver, British Columbia and part of School District 44 North Vancouver.
History
The school opened September 15, 1965, and is named after Dr. Carson Graham. In 2009, Car ...
in North Vancouver, followed by a four-year apprenticeship program at
Vancouver Community College
Vancouver Community College is a public community college in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1965, it is the largest and oldest community college in British Columbia, offering 91 certificate programs, 31 diploma programs, and 3 bac ...
(VCC).
Career
Following the advice of Sylvain Cuerrier, the executive chef for Grouse Mountain, 20-year-old Sedlak joined the team at ''La Trompette'' restaurant in west
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
where he worked under Chef Olivier Couillaud. With the experience and knowledge gained at ''La Trompette'', Sedlak returned to Grouse Mountain Resorts where he was offered the position of sous-chef at ''The Observatory''.
At 22, with the help of Chef Harold Bonkowski, head of the culinary arts department at VCC, Sedlak was selected as Canada's representative for the 2006 Hans Bueschken World Junior Chef Challenge in
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
. He came away with a silver medal.
A few months later, Sedlak won
Food Network
Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ( ...
's ''Superstar Chef Challenge II''. After the win, he left ''The Observatory'' to shoot ''The Main'', which premiered on 1 October 2007. Anthony was also a judge on the Food Network show ''Family Cook-Off''.
He was named Executive Chef a ''The Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe'' in Vancouver, which was scheduled to open in November 2009.
In February 2010, just days before the opening of The Corner Suite Bistro, Anthony parted ways with the restaurant in pursuit of other opportunities.
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, Canada on July 6, 2012. According to the coroner's report, Sedlak committed suicide by taking excessive amounts of
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
and
oxycodone
Oxycodone, sold under various brand names such as Roxicodone and OxyContin (which is the extended release form), is a strong, semi-synthetic opioid used medically for treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and a commonly ...
. Shortly before his death, Sedlak filmed an appearance as a guest judge on the television program '' Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag''. The episode in which Sedlak appeared aired on November 20, 2012. Even though it wasn't his last TV appearance, it featured a tribute to him at the end of the episode. Sedlak's final appearance was on season 2, episode 12 of ''
You Gotta Eat Here!
''You Gotta Eat Here!'' was a Canadian food television series that aired from January 2012 until December 2016 on Food Network Canada.