(l-r) Junior chef division winner Ryan Beauvais, NAV Centre; IACC Americas president Sean Anderson; and senior chef division winner, Brian Wagner, Chauncey Conference Center.
Ryan Beauvais from the NAV Centre in Cornwall, ON, took top honours in the junior division of the IACC’s Copper Skillet (Americas) culinary competition, held earlier this month at Summits of Chicago. Beauvais will now represent Canada and the United States in the category at the association’s Global Copper Skillet competition, which takes place at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA, on April 17th, the first day of the IACC-Americas Connect conference.
“”I am very excited with the results and grateful for the opportunity to compete against some very talented chefs,” said Beauvais, whose journey to the Philadelphia competition began on November 15, 2017 at Vantages Venue in Toronto, when he beat out three peers from Canadian conference centres, winning the Canadian Copper Skillet and the chance to compete in Chicago.
In each phase of the “Chopped”-style competition, the chefs are given basic pantry items along with a “mystery basket” of proteins and other fresh grocery items, and then given 15-minutes to prepare and 30-minutes to create and present their dish to the judges.
In Chicago, Beauvais wowed the judges with pan seared pork tenderloin accompanied with a mushroom cream sauce, sweet potato and russet potatoes hash and butter poached shrimp.
The winner in the senior chef category, Brian Wagner from Chauncey Conference Center, Princeton, NJ, served roasted pork tenderloin, cauliflower couscous, buttered prawns, cauliflower roasted in brown butter, and pickled jalapenos.
Wagner and Beauvais will now compete against regional Copper Skillet winners from Asia-Pacific and Europe for the ultimate Copper Skillet title.
“Food is such an important aspect of the meeting experience and we are pleased to once again be showcasing the talents of the IACC culinary superstars with our clients. The Copper Skillet competition is always interesting, motivating and entertaining,” said Louise Silberman, owner and managing director, Summits of Chicago.
IACC Americas president, Sean Anderson, commented: “At its core, the Copper Skillet is a statement to the industry that IACC chefs around the world, from every country and in every state represent the very best in culinary talent. As the role of food and beverage has moved to centre stage in meetings and events, IACC continues to lead the way. Our Copper Skillet has become a series of signature events, helping build a strong community of Chef contestants, engaging thousands of raving fans and meeting planners at cook-off events, all while providing a showcase for top talent.”
The Copper Skillet competition was introduced in 2004 to highlight the artistry and skill of the best chefs from IACC-member conference venues around the world and give recognition to their contributions to the shared goal of providing an outstanding conference venue experience.
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