Delaware North’s Culinary & Hospitality Academy recently hosted two multiday workshops to sharpen the skills of chefs hailing from across U.S. operations:
- A Sushi Workshop (July 28-Aug. 1), hosted at Morimoto Asia, operated by Patina Group at Disney Springs in Florida, was led by Yuhi Fujinaga, director of culinary, Patina Group; Yong Yoo, executive sous chef; and Alex Dorjpurev, executive sous chef.
- A Buffet Workshop (Aug. 24-29), hosted at Middleby Innovations Kitchens in Dallas, one of Delaware North’s strategic supplier partners, was led by Lou Piuggi, vice president of culinary, Delaware North; Franck Deletrain, director of culinary, Patina Group; and Kevin Doherty, director of culinary, Sportservice.
All salaried chefs can participate in these culinary workshops, supporting their development through technical skills refinement, collaboration with chefs from other subsidiaries and, ultimately, gaining new knowledge on executing dishes that surprise and delight guests while meeting company standards.
One of the key goals of the Sushi Workshop was to present inventive ways to offer sushi to all kinds of guests – balancing creativity with traditional techniques, respect for ingredients and superb presentation.
“The Sushi Workshop gave me a whole new appreciation for the care, patience and intention that goes into something as simple – but detailed – as a piece of sushi,” said Kashiea Lotts, executive sous chef at Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis, Ark. “Our experienced trainers taught me how much thought goes into creating something special for our guests. I returned feeling recharged and excited to bring that same level of care into what we do daily at Southland.”
Sous Chef Rodrigo Cantu took his Sushi Workshop insights back to Little Caesars Arena (LCA) in Detroit, offering a mix of sushi for suites fans shortly after returning.
“It was nice to work with other professionals from across Delaware North,” Cantu said. “This immersive professional development is essential – it sparks creativity and brings fresh energy back to the team. I’m excited to apply what I learned to enhance the dining experiences we create at LCA.”
Leaders of the Buffet Workshop shared knowledge on well-designed displays, focusing on details such as presenting fresh offerings, an array of colors, balanced heights, innovative layouts and clean organization, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert buffets.
“As a participant in the recent Buffet Workshop, I realized that it is truly essential to participate in these kinds of opportunities for our own professional development while helping to build a strong, cohesive culinary division,” said Gidget Wickham, executive chef of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. “I also gained a deeper understanding of the new equipment at Middleby available to us to develop more efficient processes within our kitchens to execute final products that enhance the guest experience.”
Workshop participants can share feedback on their experience to guide future training.
“These hands-on workshops give chefs best practices such as techniques, plating and presentation guidelines to help ensure every property presents the same level of taste, quality and creativity, no matter the location,” said Steve Eden, director of the Culinary & Hospitality Academy.
