Delaware North’s Culinary & Hospitality Excellence for Future Success (CHEFS®) program continues to expand with eight executive chefs from all subsidiaries partaking in a training at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Copia in Napa, Calif. The executive chefs emerged with CIA ProChef® Mentor designations on Aug. 14, preparing them to mentor the fourth cohort of emerging culinarians on Sept. 16.
The CHEFS program, launched in 2022 by Delaware North’s Culinary & Hospitality Academy, selects seasoned executive chefs from across the company to mentor emerging culinarians, internal sous chefs who are selected for the program. The program includes 12 months of coursework, which prepares participants to earn CIA ProChef® certifications and excel in the next stages of their Delaware North careers.
Delaware North has been collaborating with the CIA since the program’s inception, working with the top-tier educational institution to provide instructional resources and world-class training spaces for CHEFS participants to come together in person.
The ProChef Mentor designation instills chefs with the tools to be more effective teachers and leaders through live kitchen role playing, during which mentors work alongside another executive chef through the perspective of an emerging culinarian.
“As chefs, we teach our teams daily, but being a mentor is much more involved,” said Antonio Prontelli, culinary director and chef for Delaware North’s Patina Restaurant Group. “It’s about clearly explaining the how, when and why behind our craft and instilling emerging culinarians with that same knowledge and passion. The training showed me new ways to hone my empathy, be more flexible and expand my perspective to think like an emerging culinarian.”
Silverado Vineyards, operated by company supplier Foley Family Wines, also hosted the group for a tour and wine pairing workshop. The final day of training culminated with a mini challenge in which each chef developed four small-plate recipes to pair with four wines from the Foley Family portfolio.
The chefs, who had several weeks to develop recipes, worked in teams and had two hours to create four dishes developed by other chefs in their cohort.
“The challenge demonstrated the impact clarity and intention have in a mentor relationship, providing an opportunity for the chefs to learn how to foster open and safe environments for feedback and collaboration,” said Patrick Callery, culinary analyst.
Main caption: Several Delaware North executive chefs participated in a CHEFS training Aug. 12-14 at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa, Calif. Pictured from left to right are Jason Ramos, Niagara Falls State Park; Mark Szubeczak, Comerica Park; Antonio Prontelli, Patina Restaurant Group; Sean Lee, Sheraton Nashua; Chris Chadwick, Courtyard by Marriott Titusville – Kennedy Space Center; Brian Wolfe, Hamburg Gaming; Michael Hurley, Orlando International Airport; and Stewart Lavender, Squire Resort at the Grand Canyon.