Cheney will go on to represent the state at a national Pork Summit

MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Brendon Cheney wowed judges at the Indiana Pork Taste of Elegance Feb. 7 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom with his pork dish that mixed sweet and savory flavors.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120210/DE51498LOGO )

Cheney, the banquet chef at the JW Marriott Indianapolis, was named the Chef Par Excellence at the event for his "Battle of the Porks: Sweet & Savory" dish, which mixed pork with the flavor of caramel apples.

"I wanted to mess with people's minds a little bit," said Cheney, who has been with the JW Marriott Indianapolis for about a year. "I had an idea of what is delicious. Pork by itself is delicious, and I thought of other things that were delicious and settled on caramel apples."

Cheney also received the People's Choice Award for best display at the competition. Although he's been cooking for 21 years, and has been a chef since 2003, this was his first out-of-house culinary competition.

"I'm still just riding a high," he said. "It lets me know I know food well enough for people to really enjoy it."

Cheney competed against about a dozen chefs from across the state, and will represent Indiana at the Pork Summit hosted by the National Pork Board in Napa Valley, Calif.  Along with his title, Cheney took home a $1,000 check.

The 2012 Indiana Pork Taste of Elegance was sponsored by Indiana Pork in partnership with Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council.

White Lodging Services Corporation - was established in 1985 and is headquartered in Merrillville, Ind. White Lodging is a fully integrated hotel ownership, development and operations company – a recognized leader that has defined and cultivated the ability to achieve consistent, sustainable growth among mid-to large-scale hotels across the country. Its current portfolio consists of more than 158 hotels in 20 states and encompasses representation of the following leading brands: Preferred Hotels, Marriott International, Inc., Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Global, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental Hotel Group and Carlson Hotels Worldwide.

For more information about White Lodging, please visit www.whitelodging.com.

SOURCE White Lodging

Back to top

RELATED LINKS
http://www.whitelodging.com