Matt Basile
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Matt Basile

Founder, Fidel Gastro’s

Matt Basile is the founder of the Toronto-based street food brand, Fidel Gastro’s. In just four years, it went from an underground sandwich pop-up to an internationally recognized food brand. In an industry steeped in tradition, Basile always strives to do things differently, and now, almost a decade later, he has a growing business of food trucks, food experiences, and a massive catering division.

Under the Fidel Gastro’s brand, Basile operates one of Canada’s most recognizable food trucks and for six phenomenal years ran the gastro pub, Lisa Marie. It was featured on various TV series, including You Gotta Eat Here! and Chef In The City, and was also ranked as the ninth best brunch spot in Canada by OpenTable magazine.

In addition, Basile hosted the reality television show Rebel Without a Kitchen, which aired on Netflix, Travel and Escape Channel, the Cooking Channel, and the Asian Food Channel. He also hosts original cooking shows on YouTube, including Chefs in Cars Getting Takeout, Date Night with Grandma, YAAAA Brunch, and many more.

Basile and his partner, Kyla Zanardi, are the bestselling authors of two cookbooks: Street Food Diaries and, most recently, Brunch Life. He has also contributed to both HuffPost and Vice as a food writer, and is a regular guest on programs such as Global Morning and Breakfast Television. In 2015, Basile was nominated for a coveted Canadian Screen Award for Best Host of a Canadian Reality Series.

Disrupting The Food Industry

In just eight years, Chef Matt Basile went from a copywriter filled with big ideas and no motivation, to owning one of Canada’s most recognizable food truck brands; publishing two bestselling cookbooks; owning and running the successful restaurant, Lisa Marie; being a leading authority on brunch; and being the first independent food company to have a stall inside the Air Canada Centre. And he’s only just begun.

Basile’s pursuit towards always being different, plus his advertising mindset and passion for food, has allowed him to approach an industry stanched in tradition with a fresh perspective and create food experiences that people actually want.

Hear his story from the beginning — the moment he came up with the idea, the family that inspired it all, and the endless sacrifices he made to make sure his business made an impact.

The Energy Pivot: Understanding Your Big, Audacious Hairy Goal and the Most Effective Way Forward

Sometimes entrepreneurs find themselves moving forward blindly, not because they don’t care but because it’s comfortable and they just don’t have the time or energy to stop and regroup.

Despite having the company mantra of “always be different”, this is exactly where Chef Matt Basile found himself — he was a victim of monotony. He needed to stop, but this didn’t require a complete overhaul of his business strategy and execution, instead a pivot — a slight refocus on how he used his energy and where it was directed — opened up an entirely new process and business venture for him.

Basile explains how to use and apply this same process to your business strategy to end monotony, strengthen creativity and innovation, and set your organization up for success in today’s disruptive marketplace.

The Fun Food Movement

As a chef, food-trucker, two-time bestselling cookbook author, television host, and food YouTube creator, nobody loves having fun with food more than Chef Matt Basile. His approach to food is simple — it has to be different and it has to be fun.

Basile loves to engage with people about food. Booking him for a private corporate brunch event; gourmet cheeseburger battle; or food and beer, wine, or beverage pairing not only comes with an innovative menu, but also a great story.

Cooking (Virtually) with Matt Basile

As people are cooking more at home now than ever, it’s a great time to find some new excitement in the kitchen. The always-enthusiastic Matt Basile, bestselling author of Brunch Life and founder of Fidel Gastro’s, loves nothing more than to share his passion for food with others. His engaging cooking demonstrations are a fun, unique way to add some additional flavour to your virtual event.

Providing a recipe outline to his audience ahead of time, Basile leads participants through the prep and cooking process, while taking questions and sharing stories from his adventures as an acclaimed chef. The experience is like having him cook right across the table, inspiring his audience to try new things, and reminding them why good food is always important, no matter what’s going on in the world.

Celebrity Services

Matt Basile is represented by The Spotlight Agency for sponsorship, endorsements, public relations and media spokesperson campaigns, product launches, voiceovers, celebrity appearances, and more.  Please visit The Spotlight Agency for more details.