At the age of 50, this successful Hamilton chef made a pandemic pivot into lifelong dream of becoming a barber
When the pandemic brought the world to a halt nearly 18 months ago, Hamilton chef Patrick Wiese put down his kitchen knives indefinitely.
He could no longer travel for his job with Vitaflo International - a branch of Nestle that specializes in medical food and therapeutic diets - or cook in front of big groups of people all gathered together in a single room.
Wiese had been in the food industry for more than two decades.
He'd been a chef for stars such as Oprah Winfrey and Avril Lavigne. He was a contestant on the first season of Top Chef Canada" and previously owned a food truck in the city.
All Wiese had ever known was food and the inside of a kitchen - but he had a secondary passion bubbling just below the surface.
I was 50, it was a pivotal moment of my life and I didn't know what to do," said Wiese, who turned to his husband for advice. He said, You always, always talked about being a barber, ever since I've known you. And you cut my hair.' "
And Wiese knew it was true.
I just want to get old, get more tattoos and talk to people all day," he said, noting barbers often play double-duty as a therapist for their clients. I love that kind of connection."
So, instead of reaching for his chef's coat, Wiese picked up a pair of scissors and a straight razor, all while enrolling in barbering school in Edmonton.
Weise trained for nearly two months this past March - his initial start date was delayed a number of times due to COVID-19 - learning the ins and outs of classic barbering at the age of 50, while most of his classmates were half his age.
It was mind-blowing," said Wiese. I loved being in school."
And in July, Wiese opened his own shop, Boss Man Barber & Beard Co., located inside of My2Uncles at 112 Melvin Ave., just off Parkdale Avenue North and Barton Street East.
Tucked into the back of the east Hamilton vintage toy shop, he offers haircuts, beard trims, beard cleanups as well as hot towel face and head shaves.
Wiese, now 51, said while making such a drastic career change late in life has had its challenges, the skills he built as a chef have had their benefits.
He's still using his hands and his eyes are peeled, constantly looking for fine details. Wiese said he treats every haircut like his last plate."
For me, it's become a natural progression," he said. The techniques are different, so my hands fumbled a little bit at the start. But my eyes knew what I needed to see."
Wiese said the pandemic provided him a chance to prove that he is capable of adapting. He was able to find a home for his shop, successfully open after the last lockdown and build a client base in a time where some people are still hesitant to put themselves back into a barber's chair.
His story also shows that it's never too late" in life to do something you're passionate about - and that age shouldn't hold anyone back, Wiese added.
I'm 51, I did it and you can too," he said. If you love it, do it. You're going to succeed. You're going to put all your love into it and people are going to see that, and they're going to gravitate toward that."
Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com