Executive Chef At The National Conference Center To Compete In National Cooking Competition

Dec. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- Executive Chef Craig Mason of The National Conference Center (NCC) has qualified to compete with other American chefs and earn a place in the international Copper Skillet Competition sponsored by The International Association of Conference Centers (IACC).

The Americas Chapter of IACC will hold its cook-off for the Eighth Annual Copper Skillet Competition on January 6 in Lewis Center, Ohio which includes chefs from IACC-member properties in the United States vying to represent the United States at the international competition at the association’s annual conference which is scheduled for March 23-25, 2011 at NCC.  

A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Chef Mason brings 15 years of experience to his role at NCC.  As executive chef, he is responsible for creating and implementing new menus and concepts for the award-winning conference center that serves over 40,000 meals per month.  One of Mason’s culinary focuses is to promote eco-sustainability through environmentally friendly products, “food for thought” entrees, and farm-to-table initiatives. Fresh local food and sustainable product packaging is also a campus-wide priority at The National Conference Center as well as a current trend in the hospitality industry.  Mason’s talent has led him to garner several certifications including Culinary Institute of America - Pro Chef Certification Level II and American Culinary Federation Certified Chef de Cuisine.

The competition is open to qualified chefs at an IACC-member property in the USA and will be judged by a panel of invited professionals from the hospitality industry.  The champion chef from the USA competition will go to the IACC Annual Conference at The National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia and take part in the final cooking phase of the Copper Skillet Competition which will be held on March 24, 2011.

The seven competing US chefs will receive a “mystery basket” of fresh produce, grains and three protein ingredients (Meat, Fish, Poultry, etc.) after which they will be free to create any style of dish.  Each chef will have 15 minutes to review the ingredients and strategize followed by 30 minutes to create their dish and present to the local culinary judges.

The popular Copper Skillet Competition was introduced in 2004 to highlight the artistry and skill of the best chefs from IACC-member conference centers around the world and to honor their contributions to the shared goal of providing an outstanding conference center experience.  Competing Chefs at the annual conference will represent IACC Chapters in The Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, Denmark and Canada.

Located in Northern Virginia 12 miles from Dulles International Airport and 35 miles from Washington, D.C., the National Conference Center (NCC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive conference centers in the nation. With 917 guest rooms and over 250,000 square feet of meeting space, NCC has become a hub for productive meetings.  NCC is also on the GSA schedule.   For information call 800-640-2684 or visit www.conferencecenter.com.  

The National Conference Center is managed by ARAMARK Conference Centers.  ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. In FORTUNE magazine's 2009 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry, consistently ranking since 1998 as one of the top three most admired companies in its industry as evaluated by peers and analysts. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 260,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at the company's Web site, www.aramark.com.