Medium Rare Apparel: “The Black Sheep of the Whites”

“Chefs are sexy!” Yes, that’s the word on the street (and in the kitchen) according Chef Cam Dobranski owner of Calgary’s Brasserie and Winebar Kensington. I met the bearded entrepreneur and his brother at Grazing in the Gardens for Tofino’s Food and Wine Festival. Dobranski was in house to promote his edgy line of industry wear, Medium Rare Chef Apparel. And it is hot stuff. No strangers to the rugged demands of the kitchen environment, Dobranski and business partner chef Andrew Dallman were tired of boring old uniforms. 

“We [chefs] love what we do, so why shouldn’t we love what we wear?” Dobranski says.

Of course, there will always be respect and a place for the classic chef whites but today’s younger chefs are pushing all sorts of boundaries, including how they dress.

It is the firm belief behind Medium Rare that chefs are creative individuals who deserve to feel good in the kitchen; and that is precisely why these guys decided to switch it up:

“Chefs need freedom in the kitchen,” Dobranski says. “Edge is important, and cooks need to speak for them selves. We’re pushing to be a little more modern, edgier and cooler.”

The Medium Rare online shop

Built for the kitchen, Medium Rare apparel is designed to be comfortable, durable and easy on the eyes. From “classic” and “hipster” chef coats to aprons, hats, knife bags and accessories, Medium Rare uses quality materials with unique touches that include leather straps, button snaps and industrial hardware finishes.

While the apparel is primarily geared toward the restaurant industry, there is also a line of streetwear with graphic-T’s, hats, hoodies and mechanic-style jackets for the casual off-hours.

Important to note: the concept for Medium Rare began years ago with Dobranski dreaming big and craving change in the kitchen, right down to the uniforms. But change is slow, as we all know, and so launching Medium Rare gradually into the market has been a carefully thought out process. More importantly, it’s come down to the integrity of the line (all materials are North American sourced and 100% Canadian made); in order to maintain authenticity of a product you need to be wise in how you market.

“Our focus is on the up-and-coming chef” says Dobranski. “I want the underdogs to help us get there. I don’t necessarily need a big corporation to mass order and sweep us off our feet. Integrity of the brand is crucial” Dobranski says. “If we move [Medium Rare] too fast we could just end up with another shitty item.”

This tactic seems to be working too, as the business is taking off. There is now a Medium Rare chef team of ambassadors from across the country contributing to the design and production of the company. Along side local restaurant crews wearing Medium Rare, T-shirts have been worn by competitors on Top Chef Canada and celebrity chefs like Chuck Hughes and Chris Cosentino.

“Medium Rare is about breaking the mold” says Dobranski. “It’s the black sheep of the [chef] whites. We know the food scene is sexy and chefs should feel sexy wearing what they’d would outside- inside the kitchen” Dobranski says. “Chefs are the new rock stars!”

All products, including custom designs can be ordered online from the website.

Medium Rare Chef Apparel Inc.

Email
Sales email
Phone: 1 (800) 939-6367
Facebook
Twitter