Romain Avril is a French born celebrity chef based in Toronto, Ontario. He was a guest judge twice on Food Network Canada's Top Chef and a finalist on Food Network Chopped Canada. Recently he launched his YouTube channel Frenchy Cooks. Early life and education Avril grew up in his native country, France, where he started his passion for cooking at the age of 13. He enrolled in cooking school at Lycee Branly (La Roche sur Yon, Vendee, France) at 14 where he graduated with his BEP Cuisine in 2002 and his BAC PRO Cuisine in 2004. In 2006, Romain moved to Nantes and obtained his BTS in F&B and Hospitality Management. Finally, he graduated with his Degree in Chinese and French Gastronomy and Art of Dining in 2007 from University of Angers while getting the possible marks with his thesis highlighting the use of plants and flowers in French and Chinese cuisine. Career In 1999, Romain had his first real experience in a kitchen at a local restaurant in Les Sables d’Olonne. This couple of weeks in field would have him deciding to enroll in cooking school the following year. In 2001, he had his first internship at the Hotel Restaurant L’Ocean in St-Vincent sur Jard. From 2002 to 2004, Romain worked weekends while at school during the week at a local restaurant called La Flambée. In 2004, Romain got his first Michelin experience working at Le Domaine de La Bretesche. He once again got a summer job here and spent 6 months altogether in the establishment. In 2005, he got his second one-star Michelin experience working at the Noga Hilton in Cannes. He also worked a summer job at The Walts in Disneyland Paris. In 2007, Romain moved to the United Kingdom and started to work at The Greenhouse, a 2 Michelin star restaurant in Mayfair, London. From 2007 to 2009, he worked at The Langshott Manor, a Surrey restaurant pushing for its first Michelin star. From mid-2009 to late 2010, Romain moved to his last venue in the UK working as a Senior Sous-chef at The Branksome Hotel in Haslemere, Surrey. In September 2010, Romain took moved to Toronto on a twelve-month visa. He started to work a week later at a French Restaurant called Le St Tropez as an Executive Chef. He then got hired at Claudio Aprile's Colborne Lane as Chef de partie and was soon