Denver Area Personal Chef Team Wins Chef Knockout Competition At National Convention

Aug. 9, 2010 - PRLog -- Annually at the USPCA national convention, a spirited competition entitled “Chef Knockout” is featured.  This competition has two teams of three chefs with identical equipment and ingredients presented with a secret ingredient which must be involved in their creations.  Upon learning the secret ingredient each team has 15 minutes to develop 2 or more dishes, then must create those dishes within 45 minutes.  The secret ingredient announced during the 2010 Chef Knockout Competition was Xagave nectar (http://xagave.com).

Chef Susan Inouye, owner of The Delectable Palate PCS in Lakewood, CO was team captain, with Chef Barbara Crispin of Denver and Chef Cate Matthews of Aurora as her teammates.  The competing team was a formidable force captained by two time and reigning champion Chef Dean Mitchell from Calgary, AB. “Unbelievable pressure and thrilling at the same time” stated Chef Inouye following the competition. “Our team came up with some delightful dishes that really showcased the secret ingredient of Xavage nectar, and we just clicked once we got our plan together” stated Inouye.

Chef Knockout has become a convention favorite of the hundreds of personal chef attendees each year.  “This is serious, yet fun competition within the membership ranks” stated USPCA President Chef Gail Kenagy. “The ability to quickly evaluate a new ingredient, decide on a combination of dishes to make, and actually crank them out in absolute minimal time is amazing to watch, and a true testament to the caliber of these chefs” she continued.

Judges for this annual competition consisted of culinary professionals representing decades of industry involvement.  

Several hundred personal chefs from throughout the United States and Canada converged on Denver this July to participate in educational workshops, business seminars and to hear from industry experts on a wide variety of subjects of importance to independent culinary business operators. “The annual convention is primarily a business building and educational event designed to help independent personal chefs strengthen their business and expand their service” stated USPCA President Chef Gail Kenagy. She continued, “Each year we anxiously await the team selections and try to put ourselves in their shoes as the pressure mounts and they race the clock with their creations.  It is always a fun and exciting moment when the secret ingredient is finally announced.  Often there is a moment of silence with some head scratching as the chefs ponder exactly how to best incorporate this new twist to benefit their end product.”

Personal chefs prepare custom delicious, nutritious meals daily for a wide range of clients in all 50 states and throughout Canada.  Clients using this special service represent active households, affluent seniors and individuals with restrictive dietary needs.  Unlike a private chef who works for one household in an employer-employee relationship, personal chefs own and operate their own independent business and will service 12-20 unique clients each month.  The direct tangible benefits to each client will be the time saved in the actual meal preparation and the associated shopping, while still enjoying exactly what they’ve requested at a cost no greater than a comparable restaurant.  “The coveted dinner hour which has eroded over the years as career and outside influences demand more and more time of individuals is being reinstated thanks to personal chefs who allow families to unite with minimal effort to enjoy healthful custom prepared meals” Kenagy stated.

Locating a personal chef can be accomplished through http://www.hireachef.com, the largest and most widely used search site for personal chefs.

The Culinary Business Academy is the educational division of the USPCA, providing world class culinary business education to individuals having the expertise and desire to create excellent meals.  The Culinary Business Academy is the only provider of personal chef business education to be licensed by a Private Post-Secondary Commission on Higher Education.

The USPCA also monitors and administers the only federally recognized certification program for personal chefs.  Through demonstrated abilities and the acquisition of industry related education and business development courses, the designation of Certified Personal Chef (CPC) is bestowed.  Continued efforts and ongoing educational advancement are requirements to maintain this highly sought after designation.  All USPCA personal chefs are required to demonstrate a standard level of proficiency, evaluated through a testing series.  Only the USPCA requires testing of each member, and each USPCA personal chef is provided with general liability insurance.

“For a service concept that is 20 years old, the industry has just begun to emerge.  Busy active households and the demand for quality nutritional meals will certainly help shape the landscape of this industry for years to come” Ellison stated.  The USPCA remains ever vigilant to stay ahead of demand by developing new educational opportunities, providing business leadership and recognizing trends in consumer needs.

For a no-obligation consultation to determine if a personal chef can fill your ‘What’s for Dinner’ dilemma, contact a personal chef at www.hireachef.com.

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About USPCA: The United States Personal Chef Association (http://www.uspca.com) is the oldest and largest personal chef association. It provides training and support for the majority of the over 5, 000 personal chefs currently working throughout the United States and Canada.