After a packed few days of education sessions, networking and competition, the annual event came to a close—and the 2023 conference destination was announced.
After three days of education sessions and networking among attendees and sponsors, the much-anticipated 2022 Chef to Chef conference concluded Tuesday, March 22—with the Club + Resort Chefs of the Year winners and the 2023 destination revealed.
Joe Barks, Editor Emeritus, Club + Resort Business, kicked off the conference’s final day by presenting Chef to Chef Milestone Pins to those who’ve attended five or 10 conferences as of this year.
Tuesday sessions began with Next-Gen Food Trucks + Demo, presented by Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, WCMC, Director of Culinary Operations and Executive Chef, Myers Park Country Club. Craig offered a behind-the-scenes look at Myers Park’s newest food trailers, demonstrated some of his most successful dishes, and highlighted other satellite operations within the industry, showcasing how each of these concepts could be incorporated into any club operation.
Session 8—Efficient Leadership Strategies for Club Chefs—presented by Lawrence McFadden, CMC, was all about creating a culture of excellence. As the club and resort industry continues to evolve, so do the requirements and talents of the Executive Chef and management team. McFadden offered a unique perspective into how clubs must address the needs of the culinary program and its talent to best maximize membership satisfaction.
Session 9—Charcuterie Masterclass + Demo—presented by Sam Jett, Director of Operations for Patchwork Productions (Audrey, Joyland, The Continental), and Colin Shane, Chef de Cuisine, The Continental, covered best-practice applications for charcuterie, including discussions on the best dry-curing and smoking methods, proper use of nitrites and nitrates, buying whole-animal, and understanding the intricacies of nose-to-tail cooking. They also demonstrated how to prepare pâté en croûte.
Session 10—Why Chefs Must Embrace a “Persevering Mindset”—was presented by Shawn Loving, CMC. When he took the helm as Executive Chef of the Detroit Athletic Club, Loving succeeded longtime Executive Chef Kevin Brennan after his retirement.
In this presentation, Loving shared how many of the challenges he’s faced in his career have served as bridges to his success, and how much of that is a result of his “challenge mindset.” Whether in hotels, clubs, the Disney organization, his own restaurant, as department chair for Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich., or as the Executive Chef for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Olympic Basketball Teams—Loving helped attendees see challenges as growth opportunities.
“I don’t believe that I have any more talent than anybody else,” Loving told attendees. “In fact, I’m sure of it. I think the only difference is I was never afraid.”
Sessions Tuesday were followed by Chef to Chef Live. During these breakout sessions, rotating moderators, led free-flowing interchanges on a variety of topics including Culinary Costs and Finances, Modern Member Dining Habits and Preferences, Career Building Strategies for Club Chefs, How to Manage Generational Diversity in the Club Kitchen and Making Club Dining More Sustainable.
Finally, during the annual mystery basket-style culinary competition, Robert Meitzer, Executive Chef, Forest Lake Country Club, and James Allen, CEC, Executive Chef, Blackthorn Club at the Ridges, were named the 2022 Club + Resort Chefs of the Year.
The day concluded with the highly-anticipated sponsor raffle followed by Joanna DeChellis, Editor of Club + Resort Chef, announcing that the 2023 Chef to Chef Conference will be in Miami, Fla. from March 5-7, 2023.
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