Club + Resort Chef

  • Home
  • Clubs
  • Resorts
  • Recipes
  • 40 Under 40
    • Class of 2025
    • Class of 2024
    • Order: Commemorative Plaque
  • Master Class
  • Documentaries
    • Watch: Inside Ocean Reef
    • Watch: All Ships Rise
  • Certification
  • Resources
    • PlateCraft
    • Chef to Chef
    • C+R Talks
    • Salary Survey Data
    • C+RC Association
    • Digital Issues
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Chef’s Thoughts with Chef de Cuisine Andrew Parfitt

By Joanna DeChellis, Editorial Director, Club + Resort Chef | November 9, 2021

If given the opportunity, Shadow Wood CC’s Chef de Cuisine would like to compete against this Certified Master Chef.


Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.


Andrew Parfitt, CEC, WCEC, CCA, is the Chef de Cuisine of Shadow Wood Country Club in Estero, Fla. He has held this role for the past two years and is responsible for culinary operations within the club. Prior to this post, he was Executive Chef of Greyhawk at the Golf Club of the Everglades, Naples, Fla.

  1. You’d be surprised to learn that I am a certified personal trainer.
  2. If I could trade places with one chef, it would be Richard Rosendale, CMC.
  3. One of my most memorable meals was shrimp tempura and fried rice in downtown Tokyo. Such simple food made perfectly.
  4. My go-to drink is water.
  5. My last meal would be cheese pizza and chicken wings.
  6. My worst culinary creation was a redwood smoked salmon & teriyaki wrap. The idea did not match well with the end result. There were too many contrasting flavors.
  7. If I could change one thing about my club it would be implementing a standalone bakery for fresh breads, pastries and desserts.
  8. My favorite junk food is Cape Cod potato chips and French Onion dip.
  9. If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be an aeronautical engineer.
  10. I knew I wanted to be a chef when I was 10 years old making chocolate-covered pretzels with my aunt.
  11. You’ll never see lobster on the menu at my club because of the large market price variation and the recent inconsistency within the supply chain.
  12. The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was splitting their side salad six ways.
  13. I love being a club chef because of the family-oriented atmosphere and bonds you build with the membership.
  14. When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m spending time with my family and exercising.
  15. My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was trying to climb my way up the ranks before mastering the basics. Master the craft before you reach for bigger positions.
  16. I cook minute rice at home, but I’d never cook it at the club.
  17. If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be my late aunt.
  18. The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was, “Never stop challenging yourself.”
  19. My favorite celebrity chef is Phillip Tessier because of his ability to accept challenges and overcome them.
  20. The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is the tilt skillet.
  21. I want to learn more about advanced baking & pastry because every chef should be able to bake as well as he or she can cook.
  22. My favorite ingredient is thyme. Microgreens are the most overrated ingredient. Shallots are the most undervalued ingredient. I detest soup bases, and I can’t live without salt.
  23. I don’t like to brag, but my meat fabrication is impeccable.
  24. My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was talking pre-shift with my staff while frustrated and stressing concerns and then slipping and falling as I left the room. It was not my finest moment.
  25. If I could have one superpower, it would be the ability to time travel.
  26. My favorite cookbook is Larousse Gastronomique.
  27. My favorite kitchen hack is making hollandaise in the food processor.
  28. I am motivated and inspired by my chef, my peers at work, and the leadership of Chef Gerald Ford, CMC.
  29. The hardest service of my career was the opening night of my club with 500 people on a newly developed menu, equipment we have never used, and very limited staff.
  30. The most popular item on my menu based on sales is our variation of “bang bang shrimp.”
  31. I’d lose my job if I took pizza off the menu.
  32. Loyalty and confidence are the most important qualities in a sous chef.
  33. My go-to breakfast is egg whites and oats.
  34. When hiring, poor grammar kills a resume fastest for me.
  35. My biggest professional pet peeve is taking shortcuts just for speed.
  36. I will always purchase Heinz ketchup instead of making it from scratch.
  37. The most important question I ask during the interview process is, “What I can do that hasn’t already been done to make the establishment better?”
  38. The best excuse I’ve ever been given for calling off work is my uber driver kicked me out of the car on my way to work.
  39. If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my wife because of her drive to be the best at what she does.
  40. The best culinary gift I’ve ever received was having my name embroidered on my first chef coat as a young culinarian.
  41. If I could compete against any chef, I’d compete against Gerald Ford, CMC.

About The Author

Joanna DeChellis, Editorial Director, Club + Resort Chef

As Editorial Director of Club + Resort Chef, Joanna DeChellis takes an audience-first approach that combines sound journalistic and story-telling principles with an appreciation for and deep knowledge of the intricacies of the club and resort chef market. She oversees the content strategy and programming for Club + Resort Chef and its various platforms including the Chef to Chef Conference. She has penned award-winning pieces about the many intricacies within club and resort food and beverage operations as well as culinary trends, profiles and breaking news. She is co-host of the award-winning podcast Club + Resort Talks, and has served in various content-development roles over the course of her career, including digital, marketing, print, and in-person events. She oversees the Club + Resort Chef Association, the Chef to Chef Conference and PlateCraft. Prior to these roles, she was the Managing Editor of Club + Resort Business, Associate Editor of Food Management Magazine and a contributing writer for Restaurant Hospitality, Supermarket News, Gayot, Cleveland Scene Magazine, and Duetto. Contact her at [email protected].

Related Articles Read More >

Chef’s Thoughts with Norris Waters
Chef’s Thoughts with Patrick Budniewski
Chef’s Thoughts with Michael Dontigney
Chef’s Thoughts with Kenric Hunt

PlateCraft

https://youtu.be/9kF2hijL4ek

Chef to Chef Conference

https://youtu.be/aOZc9QDWWWk

C+RC Newsletter

Club + Resort Chef Association

Elevate Your Club and Career: Join CRCA

C+RC Association Join the Club + Resort Chef Association to connect with a network of elite club culinary professionals and access exclusive resources and certifications designed to elevate your skills and career. Embrace the opportunity to showcase your talent, learn from industry leaders, and stay at the forefront of club culinary.

C+RC Digital Issues

Club & Resort Business Browse the latest and archived issues of the premier magazine for club and resort culinary teams, available in a user-friendly and high-quality format. Enjoy the convenience of bookmarking, sharing, and engaging with the top culinary content tailored for club and resort chefs.

Club + Resort Chef
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
  • Submit a Recipe
  • Club & Resort Chef Association
  • Club & Resort Business

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Club + Resort Chef

  • Home
  • Clubs
  • Resorts
  • Recipes
  • 40 Under 40
    • Class of 2025
    • Class of 2024
    • Order: Commemorative Plaque
  • Master Class
  • Documentaries
    • Watch: Inside Ocean Reef
    • Watch: All Ships Rise
  • Certification
  • Resources
    • PlateCraft
    • Chef to Chef
    • C+R Talks
    • Salary Survey Data
    • C+RC Association
    • Digital Issues
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe