A preview of all the the 2010 Chef to Chef Conference will have to offer, not only in the seminar session rooms, but also at the reception and dine-around functions, which will offer special educational opportunities in their own unique way.
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| Former White House Chef Walter Scheib will kick off the 2010 Chef to Chef Conference with keynote remarks on “The Next Big Opportunities for Club Cuisine.” Scheib is also providing a soup recipe for one of the Conference’s dining functions. |
Both the opening reception on Sunday night, March 7, and the dine-around dinner on Monday, March 8 will feature special dishes from recipes provided by leading club chefs, including many who will be making Conference presentations. Some tastes of the recipes that will be featured can be found here and here, including a “Four Seasons Soup” provided by the Conference’s keynote speaker, former White House Chef Walter Scheib.
The Monday night dine-around will also feature the recipe for Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with 7-Vegetable Couscous and Tabasco® Green Chimichurri, which was submitted by Stephen Pribish, Sous Chef at Overbrook Golf Club in Villanova, Pa., to take top prize in the Professional Division of the Tabasco® 2009 Hottest Chef Contest (see recipe, here).
Live food demonstrations will also be featured prominently in some of the Conference sessions (see “Coming to Life”), including “New Spins on Old Classics,” presented by Vincent Horville, Executive Chef of the Metropolitan Club of Washington, D.C., and “Buy vs. Make,” presented by Robert Wysong, Executive Chef, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island (S.C.) Golf Resort.
The 2010 Chef to Chef Conference will follow the success of the inaugural Club and Resort Business Chef to Chef Conference, which was held in February 2009 at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas. Once again, registrants attending the 2010 Chef to Chef Conference will qualify for accreditation credits from the American Culinary Federation and the Club Managers Association of America.
The full agenda of scheduled activities, topics and speakers for the 2010 Conference can be found on pages 38 and 39. Details on how to register, as well as more information about the Conference, can be found at www.CheftoChefConference.com
As part of the Conference preview provided in this special edition of “Chef to Chef,” we asked 2010 Conference presenters for their thoughts on why this year’s sessions will be especially timely and valuable. Here are some of their responses:
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“Live” On Our Stage…
As part of his presentation on “New Spins on Old Classics” at the 2010 Chef to Chef Conference, Vincent Horville, Executive Chef of The Metropolitan Club of Washington, D.C., will include live demonstrations of new approaches for these dishes: |
Q From your perspective, why, and how, is F&B taking on continued importance at club and resort properties, making it more important for not only club chefs, but also General Managers and F&B Directors, to attend events like the 2010 Chef to Chef Conference?
A Christopher Ropp, Executive Chef, Kenwood CC (presenter of “Revving Up Takeout/Fast-Casual Revenues,” Tuesday, March 9): “The continued importance that F&B is taking on at my club is directly related to what is happening outside of our club. Economic awareness is forcing people to look for the value in everything they do, and clubs are looking to maintain their dues lines.
Q “What better way to keep members coming in than to provide more value-added meals? Even for a short period of time, if you can introduce 2-for-1 specials for every night of the week, it will drive your members in to take advantage of a deal they cannot pass up.
“To decide if this is worth doing at your property, you really need to just ask yourself two questions: 1) how much revenue would you lose by running a 2-for-1 special for a month? and 2) How much revenue would you lose if you continue to lose members because it is a better value to go somewhere else?”
A Charles Carroll, Executive Chef, River Oaks CC (presenter of “Leadership Lessons from a Chef,”
Monday, March 8): “The F&B department is incredibly important to all clubs because, in most cases, it is the only department that makes money. All member services at many clubs are not priced to make money—so the income that a la carte and banquets can produce is vitally important to the club’s success.
“Chefs at private clubs have to be tremendously proactive in promoting special events and stations that keep the member intrigued, because private clubs, unlike free-standing restaurants, will entertain their members several times a week. That makes it even more important that the members have the opportunity to experience different culinary sensations every time they come out. If the chef of a club becomes too flat-footed or uneager to be creative, he or she won’t be in that position for long.”
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| Chris Ropp |
A Clive Smith, Clubhouse Manager, Merion Golf Club (presenter of “Wine/Spirits Pairings,” Tuesday, March 9): “All positions related to food and beverage are becoming more important at clubs and resorts, because there are so many other great F&B concepts that surround our properties. That means we need to constantly find ways to keep our members and guests engaged with fresh ideas and new programs. Our industry is very competitive, so we need to ensure that our members and guests will spend their dollars with us, which will allow us to continue the cycle and stay ahead of the curve.”
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| Charles Carroll |
A Robert Wysong, Executive Chef, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort (presenter of “Make vs. Buy,” Tuesday, March 9): “The role of food and beverage in our establishment has always been of great importance, and it will continue to have that focus because of the value it adds to the overall guest experience. This is our main driver in F&B. Of course, guests will remember the place and the people [at Kiawah], but it is our desire to be remembered as a culinary destination as well. Secondly, our F&B profitability is a major contributor to our financial performance.”
Q What areas will be covered in your Conference presentations that will help attending chefs and managers learn how to improve F&B programs and make cuisine truly special at their properties?
A Christopher Ropp, Kenwood CC: “The areas I plan to cover to help attending chefs and managers with these objectives are simply stated: Common- sense approaches to member satisfaction, and teaching your members how to fully utilize the club. Their club is not just for golf, tennis, or even dining; it’s also about using the club to be their caterer, grocery store, and holiday meal provider, within the comforts of their own homes. My focus on takeout opportunities will show how to expand the reaches of the club to include the members’ own homes!”
A Charles Carroll, River Oaks CC: “Chefs who attend will be in for a real treat, as they will be exposed to experts in the field who currently are in the trenches of today’s economy. You will be able to hear first-hand from chefs who have been successful in leading their teams in a positive manner, during a time when the climate around us has been less then stellar.”
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| Clive Smith |
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| Robert Wysong |
A Clive Smith, Merion GC: “This is a great way of networking, sharing program ideas, and new concepts. We can take ideas we have not yet implemented and use the opportunities made available at the Chef to Chef Conference to talk to others who have tried similar concepts, and then come back to our clubs and incorporate them into our own programs with their own personality.”
A Robert Wysong, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort: “[Conference attendees] can expect to learn a unique perspective on operations, philosophy, or perhaps a suggestion on how to enhance their own work culture. They can expect to see techniques that may enhance their own culinary programs. They will have the chance to hear first-hand from some of the industry’s most experienced leaders. And as a presenter, I am also looking forward to the opportunity to meet many new colleagues who will be in attendance.”
