Jon Wilson, a club chef for Delaware North Sportservice at Ralph Wilson Stadium, kicked off the New Year with several milestones set – all part of his bigger plan: Pro Chef II certification, which he will seek later this year.
But to get to that certification, Wilson, who works under the direction of Executive Chef Andy Altomare, has been fine-tuning his skills in various culinary competitions, including the New York State Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s Taste of Education on Thursday.
Wilson finished in second place in the competition, which followed a similar format to Food Network’s “Iron Chef.”
The event – at which Delaware North was a large corporate sponsor – was mutually beneficial for competitors’ sous chefs, too, as it aided the ProStart program. ProStart is a nationwide, two-year high-school program that unites the classroom and industry professionals to develop the best and brightest talent into tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice leaders.
Wilson relied on a familiar friend of the kitchen in Abigale Hoffman, a student in the BOCES program in nearby Angola, N.Y. Hoffman worked with Wilson during the 2014 NFL season in the premium clubs at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home to the Buffalo Bills.