Donna Dooher

Celebrated as Toronto’s “Queen of Brunch,” Donna Dooher has shaped the city’s brunch culture for more than three decades. She first introduced her warm, generous style of cooking as the founder of the beloved Mildred Pierce restaurant—an iconic spot that helped define how Toronto gathers around the table. Donna later went on to launch Cookworks, which evolved into a popular Food Network series and two best-selling cookbooks—with a third currently underway. In 2008, Donna opened Mildred’s Temple Kitchen in Toronto’s Liberty Village, where she continues to own and operate the restaurant along with its companion retail line of fan-favourite pantry and frozen staples. Mildred’s reflects Donna’s long-held philosophy of returning to the table: meals that are seasonal, comforting, and rooted in locally sourced ingredients. Her cooking celebrates simplicity, done exceptionally well. A proud champion of Canada’s hospitality community, Donna is a devoted supporter of local agriculture—self-described as a “fork hugger.” She has served as National Chair of Taste Canada, CEO and Chair of the Board for Restaurants Canada, and Co-Chair of the YES CHEF! fundraising campaign at George Brown College. Today, she continues to advocate for Canadian hospitality on the global stage.