At the 2023 Chef to Chef Conference, set for March 5-7 in Miami, Geoffrey Lanez, CEC, Executive Chef of The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Conn., and Michael Shannon, CEC, Executive Chef of Somerset Club in Boston, will discuss how they leverage culinary competitions to teach and inspire their teams. They will demo how they use practice sessions to build menu items, elevate their team’s technical abilities and mentor new and novice cooks.
“Culinary competitions were introduced to me by Chef Michael Matarazzo when I first started working in professional kitchens,” says Lanez. “After competing, I understood what I wanted to become professionally, the road map of how to get ther and a basic understanding of what I needed to do to become successful in my career. During this journey, I’ve met many mentors, friends and colleagues that I wouldn’t have if I weren’t given this opportunity to compete. I’ve also witnessed and experienced how culinary competitions can create better kitchens and environments, giving individuals purpose and inspiring those to strive for more.”
Attendees of this session, Let the Games Begin: Using Competition to Motivate Culinarians + Demo, will walk away understanding why culinary competitions are important and how individuals can incorporate that into their daily operations to benefit their professional and personal lives.
“I’m excited to present with Chef Michael Shannon, one of my closest friends and colleagues, about how passionate we are about culinary competitions and how we incorporate that into our daily operations to help the next generation of chefs,” says Lanez.
The annual Chef to Chef Conference is devoted exclusively to the specific needs of club and resort food-and-beverage operations. The Conference agenda is designed by practicing club chefs to ensure that it will be of practical use for attendees from the food-and-beverage management teams of private, semi-private and daily-fee clubs, resorts, golf courses and city, dining and yacht clubs, including Executive Chefs, Chefs de Cuisine and Sous Chefs, General Managers, F&B Directors/Managers and Clubhouse Directors/Managers.
“It is important for chefs to stay relevant in what is happening in the industry,” says Lanez. “For those participating at this conference, we will be able to see what others are doing at their own properties and how we can take those ideas and incorporate or better those ideas. It’s an opportunity to continue pushing the bar in our industry and brainstorming on how we can create a better future for those pursuing this.”
In 2023, the Chef to Chef Conference will head to the InterContinental in Miami, from March 5-7. The 2023 agenda includes eight culinary demonstrations and seven education sessions by many of the industry’s best and brightest chefs and managers, plus a keynote address presented by Patrick O’Connell, Chef and Proprietor of The Inn at Little Washington.
Space is limited, so reserve your spot early. Register at www.cheftochefconference.com.