Who We Are
Chef Pola
Chef Pola is a Vancouver-based chef and entrepreneur who has always been passionate about eating for better health. Working alongside her husband Steven, they help companies launch, distribute, and brand manage natural and functional foods into the Canadian market.
After more than 25 years combined in hospitality, owning a bagel bakery cafe, freelance chef work, on-site catering, and event management, she shifted her focus to create Chef Pola Culinary Inc. in 2014.
In 2019 she introduced her local brand of granola, Chef Pola’s Granola. Chef Pola adds value to her work with recipe development. She loves nutritional baking and taking a classical recipe or ingredient and upgrading it for a healthier result.
Follow Chef Pola on Instagram: @chefpolacanada
Steven Ley
Steven is a multi-faceted businessman who draws on his natural sales ability and strategic experience to help cultivate and grow the Chef Pola brand. Steven has always maintained a focus from a young age on health & nutrition. His introduction to the food industry was working with Canada Safeway for 5 years while attending university. After extensive world travel, he worked in a number of businesses and then, prior to Chef Pola, opened his own company working under subcontracts with various distributors to help build sales in the indie and mass grocery channel. Steven helped launch significant brands into the Canadian market and learned to navigate his way through import, freight & warehousing. He developed many relationships with purchasers, distributors, store owners and individuals with influence. Many of these individuals, Steven still consults with today He calls them his “Knights of the Round Table”. Steven continues his journey on personal development and becoming the best version of himself to help lead by example and to have a positive influence on those around him.
Our Mission
Chef Pola Culinary Inc. was launched in 2014 - A women owned business from Vancouver BC, Canada. Together with her husband, Steven Ley, they import, distribute and build brands. With the right focus, strong partnerships and a little support from our business community we can move mountains. We are dedicated and passionate about the brands that we represent and as importantly, the stories and families behind them. After 25 years of marriage, raising two kids while being entrepreneurs the whole time, we know we are a good team.
Chef Pola is passionate about your health. With a selective eye and years of knowledge and experience developing recipes for a healthy balanced lifestyle; her goal is to bring functional foods with sustainably sourced ingredients to more Canadians. "Its all about the ingredients" we focus on healthy snacks and staples to fuel you for everyday life, sport and better health practices. Organic, gluten free, kosher, Non GMO, plant based and vegan are represented in our line up. Be well and Enjoy! is our motto.
She loves trying new products, and sharing her foodie knowledge and recipes with others. When she is not working with her brands or creating recipes you will find her walking and forest bathing in Pacific Spirit Park, her happy place.