Culinary arts alum leads prestigious school of baking
Now head of the oldest bakery school in the world, in 2007, TRU alum Cristiana Solinas (Culinary Arts ’09) and her family left their home in Italy, arriving in Canada without a job, a home, or a solid plan — but Solinas did have a dream — and that dream involved Thompson Rivers University (TRU).
“Endless paperwork awaited but tucked between bureaucracy and jet lag was a dream I’d carried for years: opening a restaurant. After all, everyone said my culinary skills were being wasted,” she said, adding it was with apprehension that she emailed the chair of the program to enquire if there was an age limit.
“At 40, I expected a polite suggestion to take up cooking as a hobby, but Kimberly Johnstone’s reply changed everything: no age limit, and I was welcome to join.”
With the encouragement of Johnstone, who was chair of Culinary Arts at the time, Solinas began the program in August 2007, entering a classroom largely filled with students in their late teens and early 20s. The adjustment was significant due to the fast pace of English in the kitchen and the challenge of learning new terminology.
Despite the learning curve, she excelled — though not without surprising her instructors.
“Everyone was puzzled by a middle-aged Italian woman wanting to learn how to cook professionally. At graduation, they admitted they didn’t think I’d last more than a few weeks. But I did and learned to thrive in the culinary world,” she said.
“The program was the best, not just for its wide range of topics, which truly prepared me for any kitchen, but for the passion and dedication of the instructors.”
Culinary dreams come true 
In October 2009, shortly after graduation, Solinas’ lifelong dream came true and she opened Caffé Arianna in downtown Kamloops. Running the café and bistro for four years allowed her to put her training into practice. During that time, she returned to TRU as a relief baking chef instructor — an opportunity that introduced her to a new calling.
“That’s when my passion for teaching began,” she said. “Everything I learned at TRU shaped who I am today. It gave me the energy to run a business and the resilience I needed to succeed.”
Her interest in education led her next to Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, where she worked as a chef instructor in baking and pastry for two years. In 2018, the family returned to Europe, bringing Solinas to London South Bank University’s (LSBU) National Bakery School, the oldest bakery school in the world. She began as a bread and pastry lecturer and steadily took on larger responsibilities.
“Eight years later, I now lead the department, delivering a university-level degree in Baking Science and Technology to around 150 students each year,” she said.
Alongside her teaching and leadership roles, Solinas has continued expanding her professional credentials. She earned her Red Seal as Chef de Cuisine in 2012, graduated from the French Pastry School in Chicago in 2015 with a major in French pastry, and completed several advanced specializations in San Francisco and Montreal. She later achieved a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Baking Science and Technology at LSBU and has been recognized with the university’s Innovation in Teaching award.
She also serves as a Liveryman with the Worshipful Company of Bakers, contributing to national initiatives that support training, education, and career opportunities across the baking industry.
TRU connection endures
In spite of living and working on another continent, Solinas remains closely connected to TRU and many of the people who helped kickstart her culinary career.
“I am proud to be a TRU alumna,” she said. “It is an inclusive, diverse environment that thrives on equality and prepares students for careers in an industry always in need of skilled professionals. My life is better because of it.”