INUVIK - When Scott McFarlane got off the plane in Inuvik back in 2000, he had no clue his years in the north would lead him to becoming a certified chef.

Scott McFarlane is a cook at the Caribou Cafe in the Eskimo Inn. He came to Inuvik from Halifax, N.S. and began apprenticing in the culinary arts in 2002. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

Originally from Halifax, N.S., McFarlane came to town not knowing what he wanted for a career.

"When I first got here, I was hired by NorthMart, but I didn't see the benefits for me," said McFarlane.

"I moved onto bartending. After I was done at the Trapper, Larry Allum approached me about getting into the culinary arts."

McFarlane said he worked in Halifax as a short order cook, but didn't think about cooking as a profession then.

"I really didn't see myself going anywhere with it," he said.

Larry Allum was working at the Mackenzie Hotel restaurant in 2002, when he met McFarlane.

"Larry saw something special in me I guess," said McFarlane.

"I owe him everything for this apprenticeship."

McFarlane said that it was Allum who supported his career choice and pushed him to succeed.

"He is my ultimate mentor, to tell you the truth," he said.

Allum said McFarlane showed talent at the job.

"I offered him a job at the Mackenzie hotel, he came to work and he caught on," said Allum.

"He started off as a line cook, he had a flair for it, so I asked him to do the apprenticeship."

Allum has been a journeyman since 1991.

"I started as a busboy and worked my way up," said Allum.

When McFarlane went to school for his first year apprenticeship, he said he learned about the many basic cuts of meats and vegetables.

"I didn't know a lot of them," he said.

For his first year, he went to NAIT in Edmonton for his schooling.

"I would recommend NAIT for anyone in their first year," said McFarlane.

"They pretty well break all your bad habits."

Collecting the hours needed for the apprenticeship took a lot of time in the kitchen learning from the other chefs in town, said McFarlane.

The requirements are 1600 hours for the first year, 3200 hours for the second year and 5400 for the fourth year before the tests could be taken.

"Now I'm a certified journeyman, I'm finished school," said McFarlane.

He said his goal in his career is to be the head chef of a restaurant.

"I want to run the show, not yet because I'm not ready, but one day," said McFarlane.