Savouring the Journey

Monday, June 2, 2025
Collage of photos of Tim. One is a group photo with his team at Renison, another is him flying in a plane with his daughter, and one is a close up of him as a Stratfor Chefs School graduate.

Manager of 2025 蓝莓视频 and Special Projects Tim Farley, also known as Chef Tim, and the star of the popular social media series 鈥淭im Talk,鈥 is a well-loved member of the Renison community. In fact, he recently won the Renison Staff Award from students at this year鈥檚 Wind Out; Renison鈥檚 end of term gala dinner event. Tim can be seen around Renison going to and from meetings, helping out with facilities concerns, and planning menus from his office in the kitchen. In each edition of Renison Reports we like to highlight a member of staff, and it seemed a perfect time to introduce, or re-introduce you to Tim!

Tim became part of the Renison community in April 2018, but he was cooking long before that. His interest in the culinary arts began when he was a dishwasher and working at the same restaurant as well-known local chef Lori Maidlow. She could see Tim鈥檚 interest in cooking and encouraged him to study at the Stratford Chefs School, which he did. Soon after he moved to Niagara to work with a fellow student, but the move was temporary and, after meeting his late wife Sarah, they moved back to KW.

Working at a golf course peaked Tim鈥檚 interest in cooking on a larger scale, but the seasonal work was difficult to balance with family life. A friend sent a listing for an opening at Renison as Food and Beverage Manager, and the rest (as they say) is history! Tim says the move has given him so much time to be with his family and, in his words, 鈥淚t changed my life!鈥

At Renison, Tim鈥檚 focus has always been on making sure the food is 鈥榬eal鈥 and making as much in-house as possible, without relying on premade options. The menu changes each term and rotates every four weeks. Every term the team looks at the menu to see what works and what doesn鈥檛. They鈥檙e open to feedback, though, and 鈥渋f something isn鈥檛 working, we鈥檒l change it up,鈥 says Tim, regardless of where they are in the term.

The student community at Renison helps to drive what鈥檚 on the menu. With so many international students, Tim ensures that there are international items and dishes available, so everyone can have something familiar. Students will offer feedback, and request ingredients or dishes, which the 2025 蓝莓视频 Team can then incorporate into the menu, or make changes to recipes.

Tim and the 2025 蓝莓视频 team in the Renison kitchen.

Tim shares his passion for food with the Renison 2025 蓝莓视频 team.

One of the biggest challenges for Tim is to get feedback from students. To help build a direct relationship with students, Tim began hosting cooking classes and worked with the Student Experience and Housing (SEAH) team for cooking challenges for residents. The cooking classes, in particular, have had a big impact on both students and on Tim. 鈥淢y goal is to remove the fear of cooking,鈥 explains Tim. 鈥淚 hope I can show them that it鈥檚 not complicated, and even cost-effective ingredients can make delicious food.鈥 Not only that, Tim says he鈥檚 constantly learning from students, 鈥淚 always learn something new. I had a group of Colombian students and Mexican students over the summer and they taught me how to make tamales properly. That鈥檚 my hope, that the cooking class turns into students teaching each other (and me) about food.鈥

From his view in the Great Hall, Tim has seen hundreds of students study, work, and live at Renison. He says the best part about being at Renison is seeing how students evolve, particularly those who are a bit more reserved at the beginning of their time. 鈥淚t鈥檚 as if they come in with one personality and leave with another,鈥 says Tim. 鈥淭hey evolve and come out of their shell. It happens in stages, and it is such a cool thing to watch.鈥

Outside of Renison, another of Tim鈥檚 dreams has taken flight (literally) and he got his pilot鈥檚 license. After falling in love with the movie Iron Eagle as a child, he became enamored with all things aviation. His Dad shared the interest and enrolled Tim in ground school as a young teen. He didn鈥檛 continue with it at the time, but during the pandemic Tim returned to the tarmac. He says it鈥檚 one more way he can show his two kids, and the students at Renison, that they can always follow their dreams. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so much fun, and it鈥檚 touched everything in my life,鈥 says Tim. 鈥淚 drive differently, plan differently (there鈥檚 so much pre-planning) and it has taught me to be in the moment.鈥 His favourite flight so far? To and from Kincardine with his son, Frank.

When I asked how Tim would describe Renison he called it welcoming and supportive, recalling that when he first began he had never felt so 鈥渂acked up鈥 and supported in a role. Tim has seen Renison evolve a lot over the last seven years; 鈥渋t鈥檚 been a very exciting journey, so far鈥 he says. 鈥淏ecause in life, in flight, and even in food, it鈥檚 about the journey, and not the destination.鈥


2025 Renison Reports

This is part of the 2025 Renison Reports publication.聽Return to the Renison Reports page聽for other articles.聽