Manager of Food Services and Special Projects Tim Farley, also known as Chef Tim, and the star of the popular social media series “Tim Talk,” is a well-loved member of the Renison community. In fact, he recently won the Renison Staff Award from students at this year’s Wind Out; Renison’s 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’s 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’s 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, “It changed my life!”
At Renison, Tim’s focus has always been on making sure the food is ‘real’ 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’t. They’re open to feedback, though, and “if something isn’t working, we’ll change it up,” says Tim, regardless of where they are in the term.
Tim graduated from the Stratford Chefs School in 2001. Tim is in the second last row, second from the left.
The student community at Renison helps to drive what’s 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 Food Services Team can then incorporate into the menu, or make changes to recipes.
Tim shares his passion for food with the Renison Food Services 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. “My goal is to remove the fear of cooking,” explains Tim. “I hope I can show them that it’s not complicated, and even cost-effective ingredients can make delicious food.” Not only that, Tim says he’s constantly learning from students, “I 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’s my hope, that the cooking class turns into students teaching each other (and me) about food.”
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. “It’s as if they come in with one personality and leave with another,” says Tim. “They evolve and come out of their shell. It happens in stages, and it is such a cool thing to watch.”
Outside of Renison, another of Tim’s dreams has taken flight (literally) and he got his pilot’s 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’t continue with it at the time, but during the pandemic Tim returned to the tarmac. He says it’s one more way he can show his two kids, and the students at Renison, that they can always follow their dreams. “It’s so much fun, and it’s touched everything in my life,” says Tim. “I drive differently, plan differently (there’s so much pre-planning) and it has taught me to be in the moment.” 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 “backed up” and supported in a role. Tim has seen Renison evolve a lot over the last seven years; “it’s been a very exciting journey, so far” he says. “Because in life, in flight, and even in food, it’s about the journey, and not the destination.”
Some of Tim's favourite flights have been with his children.
2025 Renison Reports
This is part of the 2025 Renison Reports publication. Return to the Renison Reports page for other articles.