Offered at no additional charge, the sessions provided new opportunities to learn about a variety of operational and management areas.
At the Eighth Annual Chef to Chef Conference in San Diego, which was held February 28 – March 2, 2016 a slate of pre-conference bonus sessions, presented by event sponsors, provided attendees with a unique opportunity to get even more out of the annual Conference.
The sessions were held on Sunday afternoon before the opening Chef to Chef bistro, where attendees had a chance to mix and mingle over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
The pre-conference session topics included:
- Harnessing the Power of Low-Temp Steam. Presented by Alto-Shaam, this session explored the many functions and benefits of combi-ovens.
- The Challenges of Food Transport and Safety, from 50 Feet to 50 Miles. Presented by Cres Cor, this session covered a full range of equipment-related food storage, transport and handling issues.
- The Power of Blast Chilling: How a Blast of Freezing Air Improves Everything in a Kitchen. Presented by Electrolux, this session offered practical tips on how to increase shelf life and reduce waste.
- Strategic Planning for the Kitchen: Engaging the Entire Culinary Team in Current and Future Operations and Planning. Presented by Kopplin & Kuebler, this session walked attendees through each step in the strategic-planning process, including identifying core values, creating a culinary mission statement, performing a SWOT analysis, and writing and implementing a strategic plan.
- Big Profits. Rave Reviews. Full Houses: How Glassware Can Help Expand Your Business and Build Your Brand Reputation. Presented by Libbey Foodservice, an interactive demo by Master Mixologist Chad Berkey showed attendees how to elevate a beverage program with garnishes, glassware and culinary savvy.
- Exploring the Physiology of Taste and Flavor (“The Umami Bomb”). Presented by Minor’s, this session explored the scientific and practical side of flavor development.
- Cooking Equipment Essentials. Presented by Montague, this session focused on how to develop flexibility in cooking-equipment selections, to allow for changing menus and to reduce wasted movement and downtime, while increasing operational and equipment productivity and lifespans.
- Increasing Efficiency: Working With Your Group Purchasing Organization. Presented by PAPC, this session offered useful tips on how to work with a GPO to maximize savings, spend less time on deliveries and write fewer checks to fewer suppliers.
- It’s Just Coffee, Right? Recapturing Clubs’ Rightful Place in the Habits and Routines of Members. Presented by S&D Coffee & Tea, this session explored how an inspired approach to coffee and tea products and service can produce some of the highest-margin items on a menu.
The sessions proved especially successful because they allowed attendees and sponsors to have a direct dialogue in a non-commercial, educational setting.
“The sponsor session allowed us to be face-to-face with the chefs to discuss in detail what was important to them about a kitchen range,” said Craig C. Smith. CEC, CCE, CFSP, Eastern Regional Manager/Corporate Executive Chef with The Montague Company. “The small group was ideal for interaction.”
View the photo gallery from the 2016 Chef to Chef Conference here.
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.