Most days of the week you can find Chef Michel Gaumond either in the kitchen at his restaurant, Maker Feed Co., where he is constantly raising the culinary bar with some of the most inventive dishes in Ottawa, or in his office taking care of the administrative side of owning a restaurant.

But there is another side to the Cumberland Village chef. He is a guitar collector, player and would-be rock and roll star.

Restaurant owner and chef Michel Gaumond with some of his 28 guitars. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO

“Music has always been a part of Gaumond’s life. Growing up in a military family, he was always on the move. The only constant in his life was music. He started buying records when he was young and they came every-where he did along with a record player.

“Music was my friend. It was always there,” says Gaumond who acquired his first guitar when he was 16 years old. It was a Les Paul standard that he still plays to this day. He found it in a trash can with a broken neck. He took it home and brought it back to life. That was 40 years ago.

“I always wanted to play guitar. I always had played acoustic in school, but that was my first electric guitar,” says Gaumond.

While the Les Paul was Gaumond’s first guitar, it wouldn’t be his last. Over the years he’s acquired 28 guitars, most of which are older models, and a number of which are hanging in a room next to his office.

He plays them every day to help him think or just to relieve some of the stress of owning your own restaurant.

“It’s my yoga,” laughs Gaumond.

He’s played in several pick-up bands over the years and has jammed with some local legends like Chris Taylor from the Payolas and Tony D.

Suffice it to say that if Gaumond wasn’t a chef he would be a rock star, or at least a producer as he is quick to correct me.

“I would love to produce. I’m more of a producer than a player. I do a lot studio stuff. I do a lot with sampling and beats. I am an old school hip hop guy and I love a lot of techno,” says Gaumond.

When asked where he finds time to pursue his passion for music, Gaumond jokes, “Let’s just say I stay up late a lot of nights.”

The chef is envious of friend and local city councillor Matt Luloff who fronts his own band called Hearts & Mines when he’s not fulfilling his city council duties or helping to raise his two daughters with his wife Laura.

Still, away from the music and guitars, Gaumond has built a reputation for coming up with some amazing dishes using locally sourced products.

He opened his farm-to-food eatery in 2021 in the middle of the pandemic. Worse still, he had to wait several months in order to get his liquor license. It was a difficult time, but he managed to work his way through it selling take out orders.

Since the COVID restrictions were lifted in March, Maker Feed Co. has really taken off, largely through word of mouth. The restaurant is located at 2607 Old Montreal Rd. in Cumberland Village. You can find them on Facebook at facebook.com/Co.makerfeed.