Ment'or BKB Foundation presents Young Chef and Commis Competition in Las Vegas

NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, December 12^th the ment'or BKB Foundation returns to Las Vegas to hold their Annual Young Chef and Commis competitions.

All competitors are paired with mentors from the Foundation's Culinary Council or previous Bocuse d'Or Team USA representatives, in tandem with the foundation's goal of inspiring culinary excellence and fostering a supportive community for young talent.

Young Chef Candidates must select an assistant to train and compete with, and will have 2 hours and 35 minutes to cook and plate 10 tasting size portions of the dish; Commis candidates will have 90 minutes. Candidates must develop a unique recipe based on the featured protein, lamb loin saddle provided by Pure Bred Lamb.

Esteemed chefs and founders of ment'or, Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jérôme Bocuse will host the event along with a jury consisting of Paul Bartolotta, Justin Cogley, Gerard Craft, Olivier Dubreuil, Chris Hastings, Tim Hollingsworth, Michelle Karr-Ueoka, Gavin Kaysen, Roland Passot, Mathew Peters, Francis Reynard, Rich Rosendale, Curtis Stone, and Philip Tessier.

Ment'or Chairman, Chef Daniel Boulud comments, "The Young Chef and Commis competition provides young cooks with an incomparable platform to showcase their skills, passion and creativity. They are given the opportunity to demonstrate their talents and master their work. Our goal at ment'or is to guide them to become the next generation of great chefs in America."

Krystyn Navarro, the winner of the first-ever Young Chef Competition in 2014, shared, "Competing in the Ment'or Young Chef Competition was a turning point for me; up until that point, I hadn't yet found my voice and identity as a chef. The opportunity to be part of the Young Chef Competition provided me with not only an incredible platform to refine my technique, but to find my voice and inspiration."

Establishing a platform for young American chefs to succeed is at the heart of ment'or's mission. Offering exposure to some of the world's most prestigious chefs, The Young Chef (28 years of age and younger) and Commis (21 years of age and younger) competitions recognize and promote talented young cooks in a competitive environment. Winners are offered the incredible opportunity to travel to Lyon, France and support Team USA at the 2019 Bocuse d'Or Finale in January.

Ment'or has selected 7 young chefs and 5 commis candidates to compete in this year's competition, taking place at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada's Hospitality Hall. The competition begins at 8:30AM, concluding at 3:45pm, with an awards ceremony following immediately afterward.

The 2018 Young Chef candidates are:

• Mac Buben, Bistro Bis & Woodward Table in Washington, D.C.
• Evan Burgess, Boka in Chicago, IL
• Ian Cairns, Lukshon and Fathers Office in Los Angeles, CA
• Jakub Czyszczon, Senia in Honolulu, HI
• Suellen Drummond, Deauxave in Boston, MA
• Ryan Peters, Fish Nor Fowl in Pittsburgh, PA
• Jordan Sanchez, Garrison at The Fairmont Hotel in Austin, TX

The 2018 Commis candidates are:

• Amber Baden, Bar Boulud in Boston, MA
• Hans Ernst, Spoon and Stable in Minneapolis, MN
• Sean Koenig, The French Laundry in Yountville, CA
• Michael Sansom, Ad Hoc in Yountville, CA
• Christian Wieczorek, The Culinary Institute of America Student in Hyde Park, NY

The competition will be conducted in front of a live audience and is made possible by: All-Clad, Bridor, Nordaq Fresh, Pure Bred Lamb, and Steelite. For more details, visit www.mentorbkb.org/youngchefs2018/

For more information about the ment'or BKB Foundation, visit http://www.mentorbkb.org/ or follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

The ment'or BKB Foundation is a nonprofit organization that aims to inspire excellence in young culinary professionals and preserve the traditions and quality of classic cuisine in America. Ment'or is led by a Board of Directors including Chefs Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jérôme Bocuse, as well as an esteemed Culinary Council of over 40 renowned chefs nationwide who act as mentors for young chefs, serve in an advisory capacity to the organization and participate in fundraising events. Educational grants are offered to young professionals through the Mentor Grant Program for Continuing Education which has awarded more than $1.2 Million since 2014.  Our Young Chef and Commis Competitions for young cooks provide further opportunity to advance their careers in the culinary world. Ment'or is also responsible for recruiting, training and financially supporting the promising young American chefs who compete on behalf of the United States in the prestigious Bocuse d'Or competition, held in Lyon France, every two years. For the first time in history, Team USA 2017 won the coveted Gold Medal at the Bocuse d'Or.

Visit: www.mentorbkb.org

SOURCE ment’or BKB Foundation

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