Adam Hayes was named the victor of the cooking competition on Food Network, in which four competitors have to prepare dishes while being sabotaged in creative ways.
Adam Hayes, Executive Chef at Barnsley Resort in Adairsville, Ga., showcased his culinary talents on the national stage on August 17, competing on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen,” in the “Superhero Sabotage” episode, the Cartersville (Ga.) Daily Tribune reported.
“It really has nothing to do with your cooking skills per se,” Hayes said about the TV show. “It’s just how well can you handle curveballs. Some of that’s very intriguing to me, because I feel like that’s the business that I’m in is always getting a curveball. There’s always something—either the guests or somebody calls out or surprise, your cooler’s down and you’ve got to work out of this other cooler.
“Whatever it is, there’s always something like that in our business. So it’s how well can you adapt to what’s going on…I just kind of went in [to the TV show] open-minded and just figured I could take whatever was coming at me. It was a unique experience, hands down.”
Hosted by Alton Brown, the reality cooking show challenges four chefs to prepare a dish that later will be judged by a celebrity guest. While trying to make memorable creations, Hayes and his fellow competitors have to stay focused amidst various sabotages in which participants try to thwart each other’s success, the Daily Tribune reported.
“I had a lot of fun. I can tell you that there are some awesome sabotages, better than the ones I’ve seen that I’ve been watching,” Hayes said, referring to viewing other “Cutthroat Kitchen” episodes. “With it being named the ‘Superhero Sabotage,’ it pretty much holds true to its name.”
Click here to view the “After-Show” for the episode.
Supporting Hayes’ efforts, Barnsley Resort reached out to the public, presenting a pair of offerings related to his TV appearance. Following the episode’s debut, TV viewers participated in a Twitter chat with @Chef_Hayes Tuesday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Hosted by @BarnsleyResort and @A_FashionFoodie, the chat provided a behind-the-scenes look at his experience on “Cutthroat Kitchen,” the Daily Tribune reported.
On August 30, Barnsley Resort will offer a “Cutthroat Kitchen”-inspired Battle of the Burger Contest. Hosted by Hayes, the competition will reward the team that can overcome challenges to prepare the most delectable burger. Starting at 11 a.m., the Battle of the Burger Contest will cost teams $25 to enter, the Daily Tribune reported.
With more than 15 years of culinary experience, Hayes joined Barnsley Resort in April. Along with leading a team of 30 chefs, the North Carolina native also is in charge of developing the menus for the site’s three dining venues: the outdoor Beer Garden, Rice House and The Woodlands Grill, the Daily Tribune reported.
“He has a strong passion for the culinary arts and for Barnsley as well,” said General Manager Michael Gordon. “He really is a unique chef, where he sort of is working with the new South—[that is] the way that I look at it.
“When we were looking for a new chef, we were looking for somebody that was dynamic, that could make us a culinary destination. And Adam is that person. His personality is fantastic and so guests meet him and they get to taste his food and they understand that, that can only happen here at Barnsley.”
“When I came here I knew I had to be here because this is really more me than it is in a straight up hotel—in a corporate environment,” Hayes said. “This is more of a single-owner kind of [operation] open to real creative ideas and trying new stuff on a culinary level and that’s really what drives me personally. I went on the grand tour, but I think it was the ruins that really kind of sucked me in. I think once you get there, you get back to the historical piece of it.
“Southern cooking is the big thing right now in the culinary world. Everybody’s talking about it. Most of the restaurants are doing it. People are really rooted, talking about the history—and that’s really what I hope to bring to Barnsley.”
Seeking to provide the freshest ingredients, Hayes plans to develop the resort’s gardens and connect with Bartow County’s agricultural community, the Daily Tribune reported.
“My dream would be sustainability at its finest, maximize it as much as possible,” Hayes said. “I think we’ll get there. It just takes time. We’re at the foundational stage right now, just building some foundations. But our gardens get bigger every year and we’re really trying to utilize that as much as possible.
“… As the chef of the resort, I want to support the local community as well that’s around us because the closer it is to us, the fresher it’s going to be. … I’d rather purchase from some of the local community and if it’s unique … that’s a story that I can tell too, to our guests that are coming in. … It’s back to that roots and traditions piece, is that it really is about supporting each other and the community.”
