Meet @the_mattinthehat

Matthew Astorga — or Matt in the Hat as most call him — is a chef, recipe developer, content creator, tastemaker and most recently, BRIO’s newest Resident Member!

Growing up, while most children glue themselves to the television and the likes of Bugs Bunny, Matt referred to cooking shows as his “cartoons,” learning from chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Michael Bonacini and the original Iron Chefs. After competing on MasterChef Canada Season 3 (and finishing 3rd), Matt in the Hat has become one of the most highly regarded and most-watched contestants on the show. He remained a fan favourite and continued to receive fan mail long after the show ended. In fact, the MasterChef Canada team released additional footage of Matt’s time on the show in response to fans’ requests.

Matt made history as the first contestant from the MasterChef series to immediately get hired as an Executive Chef by a restaurant group. He spearheaded the development of a new concept while running his popular Master Series pairing dinners at numerous establishments.

Unfortunately, Matt’s busy schedule came to an unexpected halt when he succumbed to several serious injuries following a car accident. Complete recovery hasn’t come easy, and the physical and mental stresses have been trying at times, but Matt’s willful spirit and tenacity persist. After two years of recovery, Matt in the Hat is back and stronger than ever. On top of his podcast, blog and recipe development work, Matt has been doing extensive charity work including a Times Square takeover for the United Nations in New York City and Share the Meal which helped raise over 180,000 meals for less fortunate children in Nigeria.

In addition to his busy schedule, one of his goals was to find a new apartment to call home. Fast forward to today and Matt discovered BRIO – Boardwalk’s newest lifestyle community located in the heart of Brentwood.

You can follow Matt’s journey in his new home on his Instagram account at @the_mattinthehat. To learn more about Brio, visit rentbrio.com.