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Sportservice chefs impress during StarChefs gala event at SunTrust Park

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The home of the Atlanta Braves last week played host to a different type of big-league event: The StarChefs Rising Stars Gala, which showcased up-and-coming culinary talent from the Atlanta area. As part of the event, StarChefs, a leading culinary industry organization dedicated to promoting and championing restaurant professionals, hosted a VIP reception, awards ceremony and a gala tasting event at SunTrust Park that featured creations from the top chefs being honored by the organization.

As the official food and beverage partner at SunTrust Park, Delaware North Sportservice 

was on-hand to host the event with the Braves and serve as an event sponsor. More than 400 guests attended the night’s festivities, which were held in the ballpark’s Infiniti Club, and included a friendly competition in which the chefs each provided a showcase dish for attendees to sample.

Rory Bancroft, an executive sous chef for Delaware North and the restaurant chef at the ballpark’s Terrapin Tap Room, took third place in the competition with his barbeque-themed dish: a nine-inch bone-in beef rib with a salt-and-pepper rub. Also participating in the event were Executive Chef Pete Smithing (SunTrust Park) and Corporate Pastry Chef Paul Padua. 

In addition to hosting the Rising Stars event, Delaware North has begun a larger partnership with StarChefs and will be a sponsor of the 12th annual International Chefs Congress, an industry-only symposium featuring the world’s preeminent culinary talent. The StarChefs Rising Stars Awards celebrate up-and-coming chefs and culinary professionals who represent the vanguard of the contemporary American dining scene. They have strong, compelling culinary philosophies and are committed to fostering a culinary community by sharing their knowledge with fellow professionals. Launched in 2003, the Rising Stars community now includes more than 950 award winners from the Florida Keys to Seattle.

PHOTO CAPTION: From left to right at the StarChefs gala are Matthew Riznyk, food and beverage director; Brian Mitchell, chef de partie; Paul Padua, corporate pastry chef; Ryan LaFrance, suites/
catering chef; Casey Ryan, executive sous chef; Rory Bancroft, executive restaurant chef; Pete Smithing, executive chef; and Shawn Mattox, district manager.