Ashton Media Authors Community
Discover the voices behind the content, each sharing unique insights and expertise for the foodservice + hospitality industry
Kevin Morrison
From college dropout to celebrated restaurateur, Kevin has spent over four decades navigating the hospitality industry, building a multi-concept, multi-unit restaurant company that earned national recognition along the way. His Mexican concept, Tacos Tequila Whiskey, was named one of the Top 50 New Restaurants in the United States by Bon Appétit Magazine and recognized as a Breakout Brand by Nation's Restaurant News. His first venture, Spicy Pickle Sub Shop, earned a Hot Concept award from Nation's Restaurant News before successfully transitioning into a franchising brand. With more than 30 years as a chef and entrepreneur, Kevin has built a portfolio spanning fast-casual sandwich shops to a higher-end wood-fired seafood restaurant and oyster house. Today, Kevin channels that experience into Butter Hospitality, where he works with the next generation of independent restaurant owners supporting operators from pre-opening through multi-unit growth through proven systems and a hands-on coaching approach.
Matt Boyce
With more than 25 years in sales, leadership development, and HR partnership, Matt Boyce helps foodservice, hospitality, and distribution teams perform at their best. Matt spent over eight years at Sysco Canada, most recently as Director of Sales Training & Development, where he led national sales training and leadership development initiatives across the organization. His work focused on connecting executive priorities with frontline realities, building disciplined, high-performing teams through coaching, accountability, and proven performance systems. Today, Matt works with sales and service leaders to strengthen team execution, improve customer conversations, and build performance cultures where leadership and development go hand in hand.
Mike Kostyo
Mike Kostyo is a Vice President at Menu Matters and one of the foodservice industry's most recognized trendologists and researchers. With an MA in Gastronomy from Boston University and a BA in Journalism, Mike brings a rare combination of culinary knowledge and sharp editorial instincts to everything he covers. He spent over a decade at Datassential, rising to Associate Director and Trendologist, where he tracked the trends, flavors, and consumer shifts shaping menus across North America. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Bloomberg, and on the Food Network. Mike is a boundlessly curious writer, editor, and researcher with a passion for understanding what people eat, why they eat it, and what's coming next.
David Hopkins
David Hopkins is President of The Fifteen Group, one of North America's leading hospitality consulting agencies. Since founding the firm in 2001, David has guided more than 1,000 restaurants from independent owner-operated establishments to multi-unit groups through every stage of the restaurant journey, from new concept creation and opening support to operational improvements and profitability. With a team of over 30 industry specialists, The Fifteen Group has built its reputation on deep expertise across both new restaurant launches and the ongoing optimization of existing operations. Before launching The Fifteen Group, David served as Controller and Financial Analyst at SIR Corp and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen's University.
Liana Robberecht
Liana Robberecht is a Calgary-based chef, artist, and collaborator with over three decades of experience in the culinary industry. She spent 18 years as Executive Chef at the Calgary Petroleum Club, followed by nearly five years at WinSport, before serving as Corporate Executive Chef at Trico Living Well. Known for her creative approach to food and community, Liana has also held the role of Creative Director at Brew + Bloom and continues to work as a freelance chef and community collaborator, bringing her culinary artistry to projects across Alberta.
Maeve Webster
Maeve Webster is President of Menu Matters LLC, an independent consultancy she founded to help foodservice businesses identify, evaluate, and leverage trends from emerging flavors and preparation techniques to consumer behavior and operational innovation. With nearly two decades of industry expertise, Maeve has guided clients through menu innovation, strategic trend analysis, and opportunity assessments that lead to smarter, more impactful decision-making. Before launching Menu Matters, she spent over 12 years as a Senior Director at Datassential, building deep expertise in foodservice research and consumer insights. Maeve holds an MBA in Marketing and Research, a culinary degree from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, and a BA from Drew University.
Kate Reid
Kate Reid joined Food Allergy Canada in 2023 to oversee strategy and initiatives in the foodservice sector. She has worked in the foodservice industry her whole career, including roles in operations, fine dining, and most recently in risk management. Kate specializes in operational execution, specifically in food safety and health and safety, and has extensive experience in working collaboratively with government organizations and food industry operators. Her focus is executing innovative and strategic initiatives, program training and implementation, and developing actionable measures to drive improved safety and business results.
Maxim Atanassov
Maxim Atanassov is a Calgary-based business transformation executive and CPA-CA with over two decades of experience helping companies unlock growth, manage risk, and drive enterprise-wide change across diverse industries. As General Partner at Future Ventures Corp, Maxim works hands-on with founders and leadership teams to scale their businesses, whether accelerating growth, preparing for a fundraise, or planning for an exit. His career spans senior roles at Parkland Corporation, Pembina Pipeline, Husky Energy, Deloitte, and Ernst & Young, where he built and led internal audit, governance, and transformation functions at the executive level. Maxim brings a rare combination of strategic vision and operational discipline to every engagement, and a track record of delivering measurable results in complex, fast-moving environments.
Samantha Scholefield
Samantha Scholefield brings more than 25 years of experience designing and delivering impactful programs for the foodservice and wine industries, with a strong focus on advancing the long-term sustainability of the sector. She has built a reputation for developing well-researched, strategic initiatives that balance operational realities with forward-thinking solutions. Most recently, she has led the development of a Workplace Culture Program for the Chefs’ Table Society of BC, supporting small- and medium-sized restaurant operators in strengthening people practices, improving retention, and building more resilient businesses. This work includes the creation of a practical Workplace Culture Toolkit, providing operators with free access to industry-specific resources such as policy templates, onboarding tools, and performance frameworks designed to professionalize people management in hospitality. Her approach is grounded in a deep understanding of the challenges facing today’s workforce, with a focus on translating best practices into realistic, usable tools for operators. In addition to program development, she is an effective grant writer with a strong track record of securing funding for industry initiatives. Her ability to align organizational priorities with funding opportunities has resulted in over $2 million in grant funding secured for hospitality organizations.
Craig Milliken-Smith
Craig Milliken-Smith is a seasoned Food & Beverage executive with over 20 years of experience spanning the full hospitality value chain, from frontline operations to commercial sales, distribution, and category management. Originally from the UK, Craig has held senior and executive roles across destination casinos, multi-unit hotels, and upscale dining operations in Western Canada since 1994. He currently serves as Director of Food and Beverage at Grey Eagle Resort & Casino in Alberta, where he leads casino F&B operations. Craig's cross-functional background gives him a rare end-to-end perspective on the industry, from the operator side running teams of up to 120 staff, to the commercial side managing key accounts and national sales strategies with distributors and manufacturers across Canada.
Jay Ashton
With 35+ years inside foodservice from working the line to advising national chains and leading growth programs at a Fortune 50 company, Jay knows what it takes to survive and scale. His focus: sales growth, profit control, leadership, and brand trust. He's coached thousands of restaurants across Canada, working with owners, leadership teams, and foodservice companies to solve daily problems, make clear decisions, and build steady performance. His style is direct and practical. Jay founded Ashton Media, a Canadian restaurant media network reaching over 400,000 foodservice professionals weekly through podcasts, newsletters, live events, and editorial platforms. He hosts The Late Night Restaurant Show, Canada's #1 restaurant podcast, #4 in North America, with more than 1,700 episodes featuring owners, chefs, executives, and entrepreneurs across eight countries. He's the author of A Pile Of…, a collection of hard-won restaurant lessons drawn from decades in the industry, and the creator of the Ultimate Hospitality Business Summits, a national event series built for restaurant owners and leaders. In 2026, Jay launches NEED, a new Canadian foodservice magazine created by foodservice people, for foodservice people. He also produces the NO BS Foodservice and Hospitality Reports practical breakdowns of costs, pricing, profit, labor, and technology with real numbers, clear explanations, and zero vendor bias. His mission is simple: help restaurant and foodservice leaders think clearer, lead stronger, and succeed in a changing Canadian market.
Kevin Penner
Kevin Penner is a foodservice industry veteran with over 20 years of experience helping operators across Western Canada grow their businesses, energize their teams, and sharpen their marketing edge. Based in Winnipeg, Kevin brings a rare combination of street-level operator insight and big-picture strategic thinking to everything he does. Currently serving as Regional Marketing Manager for Sysco Canada's Prairie region, Kevin has spent two decades working directly alongside independent restaurants, regional chains, and foodservice operators — helping them with everything from menu design and social media to server training and sales growth. His background in direct response marketing and hands-on consulting gives him a practical, results-focused perspective that operators actually trust. Known for his energy, humor, and ability to get a room fired up, Kevin is a sought-after presenter, trainer, and motivator who has spoken to thousands of foodservice professionals across the country. Whether he's leading a workshop, developing a marketing strategy, or coaching a team on the floor, Kevin has a gift for making complex ideas simple — and making people genuinely excited to take action. He's a natural storyteller, a champion for independent operators, and someone who believes the restaurant industry is one of the most exciting spaces on the planet.
Dawn Gribble
Dawn Gribble is a globally recognized hospitality marketing strategist with over 25 years of experience helping hotels, restaurants, and foodservice operators protect their margins, sharpen their positioning, and get measurably better results from their marketing. Based in the UK, Dawn leads DG Consulting, where she delivers forensic marketing audits that cut through the noise and give operators a clear, data-led roadmap to better performance. Her clients range from ambitious independents to international brands including Sysco, wagamama International, and Jannah Hotels & Resorts and her approach is grounded in something most consultants can't claim: she started her career on the floor. From washing dishes to the boardroom, Dawn understands the operational reality of a busy Saturday night, and it shows in every strategy she builds. She is the founder of Hospitality Marketing Insight, a premium weekly newsletter read by thousands of senior professionals at brands including Marriott, Hyatt, Accor, and Unilever and the creator of Hospitality Marketing Hub, a practical self-service platform packed with templates, tools, and campaign frameworks built specifically for hospitality teams. A member of both the Institute of Hospitality and the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Dawn has been featured in The Caterer, Modern Restaurant Management, and Hotel & Catering News Middle East. She is a keynote speaker, awards judge, and one of the industry's most trusted voices on behaviour-led digital marketing strategy. Dawn writes for Ashton Media because she believes operators deserve straight talk, practical tools, and strategies that actually work under pressure, not agency theory.