A little bit of history was made this week for one of Canada's most well-known Steakhouse chains, Hy's Steakhouse, when it appointed Jackie Hildebrand as the new executive chef of its Winnipeg location in the city's Exchange District. Though the steakhouse chain has a number of women in front of house and head office positions, Hildebrand's appointment makes her the first female executive chef in the company's 63 year history.

Hildebrand, a Red River Culinary Arts graduate, started with Hy's Winnipeg back in 2004 and climbed her way up the culinary ladder over the past 13 years.

“We are thrilled to promote chef Jackie Hildebrand to lead the Hy’s Winnipeg kitchen,” says Megan Buckley, Chief Operating Officer of Hy's. “Her dynamic energy, culinary talent and enthusiasm make her an incredible asset on our Hy’s team.”

Hy’s Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar originally opened in Calgary in 1955 and grew substantially over the years where, at one point, it even held locations in the United States. Currently, Hy’s has five locations across Canada: Whistler, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Toronto.