How Ya Doughn’?

From bussing in a local diner in his teens, to climbing the corporate ladder in CPG, to creating
lively, delicious and informative content on the internet – there’s never a dull moment with Pete.
Like most, the pandemic attempted to derail his career climb, but that didn’t stop him. He found
his niche and forged a path forward to highlight content that focuses on regional food and drink,
specifically pizzas. With a little determination, a lot of energy, and several screens, he became
‘Early Pete’. You can watch his next big move at RC Show 2025 on the Culinary Stage as an
RC ‘Creative’ Pizza Competition competitor.

RC Show: What made you apply for the RC Pizza Competition?

Pete Early: Although I love my current role that’s focused primarily on content creation, I miss
the kitchen. I miss creating what I love: pizza. Making videos will only take you so far, but there’s
that element of being in the kitchen and making the dishes you’re sharing on social, that I don’t
want to ever let go of, completely. And, doing it on stage, and in a competition setting, makes it
all the more rewarding and exciting.

RCS: What made you choose the ‘creative’ pizza competition, over the traditional one?

PE: No matter where, every restaurant or pizza shop has their classic red and white slice that is
a customer favourite. Halifax, however, doesn’t have that white slice that everyone knows and
loves. We have such cool and diverse ingredients in Halifax, and there’s so much potential to
make a ‘white slice of the east coast’ but no one’s done it yet. At least not in my eyes. So, that’s
my goal: use my culinary background to create the white slice that’s fun and new.

RCS: What are you most excited for at the competition?

PE: To compete amongst everyone. Those who are in the industry, and those who just want to
watch a great pizza being made. I love a pizza groupie – because at heart, I’m also one! Every
year I hold a wild feast for my friends and it’s the best feeling, cooking for people and then
watching them devour and enjoy. I spend my days discussing food, I think it’s only fair that I
walk my talk.

RCS: What do you hope to gain from competing?

PE: Street cred! No, but all joking aside. I want to keep a foot in the restaurant industry because
it’s where I started and it’s really important to me. I’m really excited to see how the industry has
evolved since I’ve been officially out of it. There’s so much new talent, and I know I’ll be
surrounded by the best. What better way to compete?

RCS: What can we expect to see from Early Pete in the coming months?

PE: The dream, you ask? Finding creative stability. All content creators know the struggle in
your future depending on the success and sustainability of a social app and platform. I would
love to be a part of something bigger. Hosting has always been on the vision board, sharing and
highlighting the foods that everyone loves on a travel-type show, that’d be the trifecta. Whether
pizza or even a hot dog, I want to bring regional food into people’s homes. Make it more
accessible and exciting. So, you never know what’s next, but I will say: mini segments like those of Vice, from way back when, showcasing the best slices of Halifax, now that’d be a future endeavour I can get behind.

RCS: Can you tell us how you got started as a chef?

PE: Like many, I feel like I stumbled into the chef life. I was working in a kitchen before it was
even legal (am I allowed to say that)? I started off as a bus boy and loved being behind the
scenes. I think if I go way back, it probably stems from the love I had from getting breakfast
every Saturday morning with my dad. I knew then that I wanted to see things from the inside. I
wanted to be creating the meals that I was enjoying. And, watching others, enjoy them. Cooking
comes with so much pride, and there are so many different cuisines, which makes no day the
same. And for me, it’s the dopamine, serotonin and immediate reaction that kept me loving the
kitchen for over a decade.

RCS: When did your content creation path begin?

PE: I loved working in marketing but a lot of what I focused on was out-of-home (OOH)
marketing, and when COVID hit, that went right out the window. I wanted to stay in Halifax, so
my buddy and I got creative. We got all our friends involved, and although ‘content creation’
wasn’t really a term at the time, I guess that’s what we were endeavouring to do. We stumbled
upon a YouTube video and decided to make our own. The first one was “who can make the
fastest vegetable”, and thankfully, we got more inventive. And, although our pages didn’t take off
right away, we were having fun, and so we kept it going. TikTok was relatively new when we
started, and eventually our pages “blew up” —as they now say.

RCS: Can you speak to the importance of applying and participating in these kinds of
competitions on national stages?

PE: We are stronger when we are together. It’s easy to feel isolated in the industry, which is why
attending these kinds of events is so important. They remind those on the frontline that they are
surrounded by people in the same boat. The reality is that the service industry represents a
massive chunk of Canadians, who all face similar challenges. Being given a place where they
can often offer each other advice and key learnings is so necessary. Several other conferences
and industry events tend to highlight those in management, which is definitely important, but
shining a spotlight on those individuals who have a completely different set of concerns, is also
critical. Adding frontliners to the conversation and giving them a place to publicly shine is
something I will always get behind.

RCS: Favourite Canadian slices?

PE: I spend my time between Hamilton, ON and Halifax, NS – so I have my favourites there, but
I’m also lucky to say I have had my share fair of slices in Toronto, so I’d like to pay my respect,
where it’s due.

Halifax – Salvatore’s Pizzaiolo Trattoria (their Miguel slice)
Toronto – North of Brooklyn Pizzeria
Hamilton – Tony G’s Pizzeria
If I could pick my last meal, it would be a slice from Tony G’s.

Follow Pete Early @early_pete
Get your RC Show pass to cheer on Pete and other pizza competitors, here.