Category Archives: Announcement

2013 Signature Plated Dessert Competitors

After much deliberation, our final competitors for the Signature Plated Dessert competition have been chosen! It wasn’t an easy task as over twenty talented chefs applied for just 9 slots this year. But, the following will be competing on Monday, August 26th to see which of them has the top dessert:

  • Nina Acosta, Hyatt Regency Denver, Denver, CO
  • Charles Barrett, the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
  • Ami Dand, A Legendary Event, Atlanta, GA
  • Virginette Fitzpatrick, University Club of Chicago, Chicago, IL
  • Joel Gonzalez, JW Marriott Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV
  • Samantha Mendoza, Triniti, Houston, TX
  • Thomas Raquel, Acadia, Chicago, IL
  • Kayla Swartout, The Hermitage Hotel, Nashville, TN

Congratulations to each and we’re excited to have such a talented line-up this year! Keep an eye out for more information on each of them as we draw closer to the event.

2013 National Showpiece Championship Teams

You’ve already met this year’s National Showpiece Championship team captains, but we’re proud to introduce the entire team!

  • Team Captain Brian Donaghy, Chocolate Delivery Systems, Buffalo, NY
    Ruth Bleijerveld, Benchmark Restaurant of the Canadian Food and Wine Institute at Niagara College, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Canada
  • Team Captain Bill Foltz, L’Auberge Casino Resort, Lake Charles, LA
    Arlety Estevez, L’auberge Casino Hotel, Baton Rouge, LA
  • Team Captain David Lewis, The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, Denver, CO
    Gonzalo Jimenez, Grand Hyatt New York, New York, NY
  • Team Captain Maura Metheny, Norman Love Chocolates, Fort Myers, FL
    Dan Forgey, Norman Love Chocolates, Fort Myers, FL
  • Team Captain Jim Mullaney, J Mullaney Pastries, Atlanta, GA
    Alex Hwang, Cherokee Town and Country Club, Atlanta, GA
  • Team Captain Kelsee Newman, Sullivan University, Louisville, KY
    Scott Turner, Sullivan University, Louisville, KY
  • Team Captain Julian Perrigo-Jimenez, The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, CA
    Andrea Alfaro, Carmel Valley Ranch, Carmel, CA

2013 Student Chocolate Challenge Competitors

We have quite a few students participating this year and we’re happy to have them, along with their schools, involved! Traveling from across the country, here are the students entering to compete on Sunday, August 25th, 2013:

  • Melissa F. Bullins, The International Culinary Schools at the Art Institute of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
  • Paulette Caguioa, Platt College – Moore Campus, Moore, OK
  • Anya Damron, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville, NC
  • Paige Fuhrman, York Technical Institute, Lancaster, PA
  • Rachel Geist, York Technical Institute, Lancaster, PA
  • Brooke Hoekstra, Joliet Junior College, Joliet, IL
  • Breanna Kinkead, The International Culinary Schools at the Art Institute of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
  • Faith Maximilian, Dorsey Culinary Arts Academy, Detroit, MI
  • Cassidy McCaleb, Platt College – Oklahoma City Campus, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Luis Rojas, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC
  • Joseph Slone, Savannah Technical College, Savannah, GA