More than 450 club and resort chefs attended the 2022 Chef to Chef Conference, hosted at the Grant Hyatt Nashville hotel in March, for three days of education sessions on a range of topics specific to club and resort chefs, networking with colleagues and industry partners, live music, great food—and the annual Club + Resort Chef of the Year competition.
Check out a few photos from the event below (click to enlarge), and view the full album here. Missed out this year? Join us at the next Chef to Chef Conference in Miami, March 5-7, 2023.
Here’s what went down at the 2022 Chef to Chef Conference in Nashville:
Day 1 opened with a series of pre-conference sessions hosted by some of this year’s sponsors, including Rational, Montague, Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace (KK&W), American Lamb, C&T Design, Forever Oceans and Northstar. Later that night, after an opening cocktail reception, Edward Lee, chef, author and philanthropist, delivered a powerful keynote address about the evolution of the food and beverage industry and about how he and his team have remained positive and creative in the face of multiple challenges. Following Lee’s address, attendees moved to the rooftop lounge at the Grand Hyatt for a kickoff party for with food, cocktails and live music.
The first full day of the 2022 Chef to Chef Conference began with a delicious breakfast spread and the first session of the day—Chef’s Tables and Tasting Menus—which was presented by J. Kevin Walker, CMC, Executive Chef, Ansley Golf Club. During the presentation, Walker demonstrated how to prepare one of his most successful duck dishes.
Other sessions that day covered:
- Culture Shock: Rethinking Club Chef Culture by Michael Matarazzo, CEC, Executive Chef, Farmington Country Club
- Beyond the Cucumber: Pickles, Vinegar & Fermentation + Demo, presented by Gerald Ford, CMC, Contributing Chef Editor, Club + Resort Business
- Pastry From the Hot Line + Demo, presented by Tracy Hoffer, CWPC, Executive Pastry Chef, Chevy Chase Club
- The Art of Open Flame Cooking + Demo, local Restaurateur and Pitmaster Pat Martin
- A panel discussion on the power of mentoring, moderated by C+RC’s Editor, Joanna DeChellis, who posed a series of questions to Wes Tyler, WCMC, CEC, CCA, Executive Chef, The Club at Carlton Woods; Jennifer Landy, Executive Chef, Battleground Country Club; and Daniel Montano, CEC, Executive Chef, The Berkshire Country Club.
At the end of the night, attendees had exclusive access to one of Nashville’s most famous rooftop patios, Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge, featuring live music, a locally inspired menu and stunning views of Music City, sponsored by C&T Design.
Joe Barks, Editor Emeritus, Club + Resort Business, kicked off the conference’s final day by presenting the Chef to Chef Conference Milestone Pins to those who’ve attended five or 10 conferences as of this year.
Tuesday’s sessions included:
- Next-Gen Food Trucks + Demo, presented by Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, WCMC
- Efficient Leadership Strategies for Club Chefs, presented by Lawrence McFadden, CMC
- 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
- Why Chefs Must Embrace a “Persevering Mindset” by Shawn Loving, CMC, Detroit Athletic Club.
Following lunch, the Chef to Chef Live breakout sessions featured rotating moderators who 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 conference wrapped with the highly anticipated sponsor raffle—thanks again to all of this year’s sponsors—followed by Joanna DeChellis, Editor of Club + Resort Chef, announcing that the 2023 Chef to Chef Conference will be in Miami, March 5-7, 2023.