Kelly Greens G&CC’s Executive Chef Drew Tait is working hard to keep his team goal-oriented as they make a positive impact on the membership.
Kelly Greens G&CC Sees Real Benefits from Garden
Thanks to Executive Chef Drew Tait, the new garden at Kelly Greens Golf & Country Club (Fort Myers, Fla.) is taking the club’s plant-to-plate initiative to a whole new level.
Seven Tips to Consider Before Starting a Small Plates Menu
Introducing small plates is a great way to add variety to your menus while also giving most of your senior members something they really want: smaller portions. This season at Kelly Greens G&CC, we are rolling out a new small plates menu. These items are bigger than an appetizer but smaller than an entrée. Since…
The Importance of Yearly Reviews
Kelly Greens G&CC’s Executive Chef Drew Tait has found that yearly reviews can turn a challenging associate into a very successful associate. At Kelly Greens G&CC, August is the last month of our fiscal year and all yearly reviews must be issued before September 1st. I know a lot of chefs groan at the thought…
Putting an Eye Toward Our Future
With plans for a huge kitchen renovation in the coming years, Kelly Greens G&CC’s Executive Chef Drew Tait is careful to not grow stagnant while waiting on improvements. Instead, he and his team are evolving and improving with new outdoor dining plans and a culinary garden. As I enter my second year at Kelly Greens Golf…
Why We Need Progressive Coaching and Counseling
As managers we must coach and counsel our cooks and culinary staff to become better, more productive team members. In this day and age, it is important as chefs that we move with the trends of progressive coaching and counseling. Not only do the old ways of operating a professional kitchen not mesh with the…
8 Hiring Strategies for Club F&B Operations
Kelly Greens G&CC’s Executive Chef Drew Tait learned that the job must fit the individual as much as the individual must fit the job. Every September we begin hiring for seasonal positions to work through April (when we slow down again for the summer). Some of our seasonal staff returns year after year while other positions welcome…
Finding Balance in Our Busy Season
In the midst of his busy season, Kelly Greens G&CC’s Executive Chef Drew Tait strives to find a work-life balance that best suites him. The air is cool, humidity is low and traffic has begun to pick up. You can feel the energy buzz around Kelly Greens G&CC as the season begins to come back in South West Florida.…
How Kelly Greens G&CC Survived Irma
As hurricane Irma approached Florida’s gulf coast, Kelly Greens G&CC’s Executive Chef Drew Tait and his team prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. My wife and I have lived in southwest Florida for over 20 years. We’ve survived many different hurricanes. But this year was different for us; this was the first…
How Pasta Made Me a Chef
If it weren’t for pasta, Drew Tait, Executive Chef of Kelly Greens G&CC might not have become the chef he is today. It’s remarkable for me to think about pasta as an everyday food that almost all cultures, regions and continents have their own versions of. See, pasta and I have a deep connection. In…
5 Ways to Build a Culinary Leadership Environment
Drew Tait, Executive Chef of Kelly Greens G&CC, has developed an extensive leadership philosophy he hopes will elevate his culinary team, his club and himself. As chefs, we’ve all read many books and articles on leadership. It’s important to always continue to develop our skills as successful and effective leaders. One area I have recently…
Exploring the Uniqueness of Different Salts
Drew Tait, Executive Chef of Kelly Greens Golf & Country Club, does regular salt tastings with his cooks to highlight the differences between salt varieties—and showcase their best uses. As most chefs know, salt is one of the most important ingredients used in kitchens throughout the world. You’d probably be surprised to learn that only…
Understanding the Maillard Reaction
On a quest to better understand the science of cooking, Kelly Green G&CC’s Executive Chef Drew Tait gives his take on one of the most important flavor-producing reactions. I have always been the type of cook who wants to know why something is done in a certain way. I’m not satisfied with just knowing how.…
All Systems Go
At the Bel-Air Bay Club, an imaginative team is making full use of all that its management and reservations software has to offer.