Michael Abramson has spent a career reinventing himself – and along the way, changing how people think about food.

For 27 years, Michael and his wife and business partner, Toni, ran a multi-million-dollar marketing and advertising agency, helping client after client find their story. In 2013, they decided it was time to rewrite their own story – and a year later they opened the doors to YamChops, North America's first plant-based butcher shop.

YamChops didn't just build a business – it built a category. Vegan butchery, as we know it today, largely started there. The shop earned recognition from media and audiences around the world, including features on CBC's Dragons' Den, in The Wall Street Journal, Toronto Life, Breakfast Television, CityLine, and hundreds more... along with a devoted community of food lovers who wanted to eat differently without giving up flavour, texture, or fun.

In 2018, Michael wrote From the Kitchens of YamChops (Page Street Publishing), and in 2019 he and Toni received, and accepted, an offer to sell YamChops.

These days, when he's not spoiling his grandkids as "KooKoo", Michael is back in the kitchen – this time teaching. His cooking classes bring the same philosophy that built YamChops: plant-based food should be delicious. Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, or just curious, Michael will show you how outstanding plant-forward cooking can be – no compromises required.