The Autumn Okanagan Excursion:
With a busy summer behind them, the motivated members of Culinary Team B.C. began a very active schedule of practices, caterings and special events.
A return trip to the beautiful Okanagan Valley began the next phase of the team’s preparations for their entry in the Community Catering competition at the 2020 IKA world Culinary Olympics. The fall season in the Okanagan is spectacular and the lakeside Summerhill Winery in sunny Kelowna provided the ideal location for a team practice. The sold out event saw the team cook the full 110 portions of their menu and served the main courses and dessert to an appreciative group of supporters in the self serve manner similar to the cafeteria line service required in Stuttgart. Each guest upon arrival drew an envelope containing a ticket that determined the guest’s main course, be it lamb, sablefish or the vegetarian pea tartlet. By employing this lottery system, the team is able to cook the exact same number of portions that they will cook at the Stuttgart competition. In Stuttgart the meals will be served on a first come first served basis but the numbers of main course portions will be the same.
Among the attendees was Simon Smotkowicz, former president of the Canadian Culinary Federation and 1992 Team Canada World Champion. Simon will also be judging the community catering competition in Germany. Obviously his insight, critique and recommendations were a very valuable asset and his sage counsel and expert guidance were gospel to the team members.
The team is grateful for the having had the opportunity to cook and stay at the Summerhill Winery’s magnificent Estate House. Thanks to Mr. Stephen Cipes for his outstanding hospitality and to Executive Chef Jeremy Luypen and his brigade for graciously permitting the team’s invasion of their kitchen.
The following day the team packed up their travelling road show and headed into downtown Kelowna and the Delta Grand Hotel where they began the preparation for yet another full-on practice. Once again the team prepared and cooked their meal for an appreciative hotel staff all while under the watchful eye of Simon, Bruno Marti and of course John Carlo Felicella. The guests were once again requested to pick an envelope and serve themselves their main courses and desserts while meeting the team as they filed by the service line located in the hotel’s main kitchen. The team wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Executive Chef David Foot, the management and the service staff of the Delta Hotel, Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort for their friendship, kindness and support.
After two rather hectic full-on practices, it was clear that some changes needed to be made to simplify the menu, shorten the time required for preparation and develop a more cooperative system to encourage an equal share of the tasks. On the advice of the experts it was determined that one of the appetizers required a totally new approach, the lamb served on the main course would be changed to beef with changes to some of the accompaniments and the dessert was in need of a makeover. Undaunted and with a new resolve to improve, the team returned to their respective homes and began instigating the changes required.
The Island to the Mainland Experience:
Late November brought about the most demanding of the team’s culinary adventures yet. The team gathered in the Steamship Grill in Victoria where the members cooked a variety of seafood action stations for 250 persons at an elaborate evening reception for their elated sponsors, the British Columbia Salmon Farmers’ Association.
A late night and an early morning and the team was loaded and northward bound to North Island College in Campbell River for another practice complete with the aforementioned menu changes. Once again the event organized by the North island Chefs’ Association was a sell-out. After a day of preparation in the college’s impressive new kitchen, the team readied themselves for another busy service while support members prepared two action stations in the school’s foyer. Meanwhile, an elaborate gravad lax station offering three varieties of the popular salmon specialty was manned by Chef / Instructor Xavier Bauby and his eager students. As the guests enjoyed the cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception, the team put the finishing touches to their three main courses while the appetizers and salad were placed at each of the dining room place settings. Once again the guest’s main courses were determined by their drawing of tickets from a bowl and once again the guests picked up their own main courses and desserts from the kitchen. Thanks to North Island Chefs’ Association President Lesley Stav, Xavier Bauby and Ronald St. Pierre for all of the hard work and organization. Thanks to the donors of the wine and spirits and a special thanks to the North Island College Culinary Arts Students who offered their assistance throughout the team’s visit. Thanks also to the faculty and support staff for volunteering their time and providing great service with the aid of a shy but helpful group of young student volunteers
After another late night, the loading of the vans and a short sleep, it was back to the lower mainland for a catering function in West Vancouver. Followed the next day with a day of preparation for yet another practice at the elegant Trump International Hotel and Tower in Downtown Vancouver.
With another sold out event ahead of them, the team once again set out to improve and perfect their dishes while their guests enjoyed their meals in luxurious surroundings accented by extraordinary service. Some of the city’s culinary luminaries, all with a history of successful competition experience, delivered a thoughtful critique and offered valuable advice and subsequent methods on improving the team’s performance. Thanks to Poyan Daneesh, Scott Jaeger, Jason Harris and Damon Campbell for sharing their extensive knowledge.
The team wishes to thank Trump Hotel General Manager Kervin van den Meijdenberg for providing the team with such a wonderful venue, the banquet service staff and those in the stewarding department for the much appreciated jobs they did to ensure the night’s success and a special thank you to Executive Chef Jerome Norton who has been a resolute supporter of the team since its very early days.
It’s said that there is “no rest for the wicked” in Team BC’s case there is no time to be wicked. After a week of hard work, practice and travel it was back to work for the always busy Christmas season and on to preparation for the next team practice on December 15th.