Our People

With over a decade of experience, Chris brings a wealth of brewing knowledge to Steel Toad. An engineer by trade, he designed the brewery from the ground up to suit his vision of a brewpub that could offer a wide variety of modern and classic styles from around the world, and have all be crafted using appropriate ingredients and procedures sourced from around the brewing world. With the brewery separated from the pub by nothing but a glass wall, Chris is always on display in the brewery. Please don't tap on the glass, you may frighten him!

A former alumni of Rob Feenie at both Lumiere and Cactus Club, and most recently, regional chef overseeing West Coast operations and menu development at Milestone’s, Dennis comes with a wealth of experience and dedication.

Says Dennis, “My goals at Steel Toad are to inspire a team with love of food; to create a menu that is approachable and also incorporates the diversity of Vancouver. Food that is local, trendy, fun, and most importantly delicious.“

Mr. Goodine’s experience in food and wine spans more than 20 years in all aspects of the business, from restaurant staff and management to directing the marketing efforts of a national premium wine company in Canada. He holds a Higher Certificate from The London Wine and Spirit Education Trust and was a regional finalist in the Le Grand Vin du Sopexa, Sommelier competition. While in the restaurant business, he was awarded The Wine Spectator – Award of Excellence for three consecutive years and was a 4 time Gold Medal award winner at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival “Wine List Competition.” He has received his Certified Specialist of Wine Certificate from the Society of Wine Educators.

Richard has lived on 4 continents which has given him a very broad view of food and what makes it great. Numerous events conducted in conjunction with great chefs from places like Citrus in LA, Le Cirque in NY and 2 starred Michelin, Acquamatta in Arezzo Italy. In Vancouver, he managed several of the cities iconic restaurants including The Cannery and Joe Fortes. The driving force behind Richard’s philosophy is a mix of celebrating classic culinary skills and maintaining an unpretentious attitude. Food and wine should be celebrated at the table with great friends and family. Use quality ingredients, make the most of those ingredients and care about what you do, and you will have a great meal is his mantra.