In early January, I was invited up to the BMO Institute for Learning (IFL) in the suburbs of my hometown of Toronto. The purpose of my visit was to guest judge the regional IACC Copper Skillet Competition for Ontario whereby chefs operating in conference centers were given all the same ingredients and only two skillets in order to complete dishes in less than 45 minutes. As one of two evaluators alongside Rose Reisman, we marked each chef’s creation based upon taste, presentation and applicability to a banqueting or catering scenario.

This year’s contest included:

• Luc McCabe from the NAV Centre in Cornwall, Ontario
• Rebecca Lynore Marett and Alvin Guilas from the IFL in Scarborough, Ontario
• Alexsandra Lalonde and Barrington Graham from St. Andrew’s Club & Conference Centre in downtown Toronto, Ontario
• James Van Hagen and Kent Phillips from the Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre in London, Ontario

To sum it up, the food delivered by all seven competing chefs was utterly fantastic. For the three chosen mains, the Cornish hen was succulent (hard to do with only a skillet and a limited timeframe), the pork tenderloin was well-spiced and the fishiness of the trout was balanced with lemon, herbs and just the right amount of butter. While each chef worked frantically to get their plates ready, they were all humble, enthusiastic and thoroughly knowledgeable about their cuisine after the show.

This time was different, though. Last year only had five participants, and so the organizers could keep it behind closed doors within the confines of IFL’s kitchen. However, with seven contestants that was never longer possible. Instead, tables were assembled along a central corridor in the building’s atrium with all guests free to walk around and watch the chefs in action. I told the organizers this after the event was over and I’ll repeat it now: hosting this competition out in the open was an outstanding idea.

Yes, it raised a few minor safety issues as you had passersby coming close to hot pans, open flames and sharp knives, but the positives far outweigh any such drawbacks. Observing professional chefs in action isn’t something we’re privy to every day, which makes this contest both exceptional and highly memorable. By letting people witness this event, it gets them talking, both in person and via social media as noted by the dozens of smartphones cameras whipped out to document the occasion. Lastly, it was quite interactive as onlookers were invited to sample the cuisine and to ask questions.

While the Copper Skillet Competition comes but once a year to Ontario (with many other satellite and international iterations), I pose the question to you: Why can’t your hotel host a public cooking show or competition?

We all know that cooking shows are popular these days, and your own culinary event can piggyback on this contemporary craze. At its most basic level, you could host a contest only between the chefs working at one property. More challenging will be to bring participants together from multiple locations – either those operating at the behest of a specific management company or a given brand (either soft branded association or chain). Of course there are logistical challenges (safety concerns, spacing, electrical access and so on) but the returns are too great to ignore.

Not only will these types of events highlight a hotel or conference center’s prestige as a culinary destination, but they will also inspire all chefs to continue to hone their craft in the kitchen. Much like how other industries have trade shows for the exchange of ideas, so too do gourmets need to occasionally rendezvous to exhibit their culinary creativity. Then think of your guests. Such a competition is memorable and interactive – both incredible attributes to heighten guest satisfaction and build a loyal customer base.

(Article by Larry Mogelonsky, published by HotelsMag on March 4, 2016).