Arjun Pillai
Daily Herald
For Jeanette Kindezerski, feeding hundreds of hungry athletes and officials at the Softball World Cup isn’t just a job; it’s a calling shaped by decades of culinary passion and community care.
Kindzerski, the chef and owner of Shananigans in Prince Albert, has been quietly building a reputation for bold flavours, homemade creations, and heartfelt service. Now, her work is taking centre stage on an international platform.
“We had to bid on it,” she said about landing the World Cup catering contract. “But I’ve done a lot of work for the city over the years, and they chose me. It was awesome.”
She’s no stranger to big events, from Co-op’s 600-person Christmas parties to frequent gigs with the Raiders, but the scale and visibility of the World Cup brings a special kind of excitement. For one of the recent meals, she served rosemary pork loin with honey garlic glaze, baron of beef, turkey and dressing, herb garlic mash, and four salads, topped off with homemade desserts like cheesecake, crème brûlée, and a baseball-themed cake.
“I specialize in cheesecakes and tortes and cream puffs,” she said. “Everything’s made from scratch.”
Kindzerski’s commitment to quality goes back to her roots. She started in kitchens at 16, earned her Red Seal certification, and ran hotels and restaurants in Saskatoon before settling into Shananigans 15 years ago.
“I’ve owned it since then, but the building’s been here for 26 years,” she said. “When I bought it, the kitchen needed work; I built a whole new one just for catering.”
She remembers launching her Sunday brunches with only six customers. “Now it’s huge,” she said. “People support my small business, which is awesome.”
Running a restaurant hasn’t been easy, especially through COVID and inflation. “I had to lay off all my staff and shut the doors for three months,” she said. “But I can do everything: cook, bartend, serve. That saved me.”
Costs remain a challenge, with rising prices on utilities and ingredients. “The meat industry is right now crazy,” she said. “It’s always a struggle to make a dollar.”
What keeps her going is simple: passion. “When I go out and ask how everything is, and people smile, that’s what it’s about.”
Shananigans may be a hidden gem. A lot of people still don’t know we’re here,” she said, but those who discover it rarely forget it. With local artwork on the walls, flowers on the patio, and a menu that blends classic comfort with international flair, Kindzerski wants guests to feel like they’re eating at home.
She also wants them to remember her.
“I’m pretty personal with my guests,” she said. “I get a lot of hugs.”
After the World Cup, she’ll dive back into catering weddings, funerals, and an annual golf tournament, but this moment has been special.
“I just want people to remember how awesome the food and service was,” she said. “And maybe a little bit of me, too.”
