The Winner's Circle

Canada’s Bocuse d’Or contender

VANCOUVER—Chef Ryan Stone (left) of the Marriott Pinnacle Hotel, Vancouver will be going to France in 2011 as Canada’s entrant in one of the world’s top cooking competitions.

Aided  by Jessica Devlin (right), his apprentice at the hotel, Stone bested three other competitors from different parts of Canada to earn the right to compete in the biannual Bocuse d’Or competition in 2011.

His victory came in Montreal last month where the competition was held in conjunction with the annual convention of the Canadian Culinary Federation.

He and Devlin were required to prepare two platters for 12 in a five-hour period, using rack of pork and sablefish with lobster.

In preparation for the 2011 Bocuse d’Or, Stone will go with Vancouver chef David Wong to Lyon next January for the 2009 competition.

As an apprentice, Stone helped two chefs win the right to compete in previous Bocuse d’Or events, Morgan Wilson who competed in 2005 and Scott Jaegar who went to Lyon in 2007.

Twenty-four countries each send a chef to the Bocuse d’Or competition, organized under the stewardship of famed French chef Paul Bocuse.

Bellstar celebrates its 5th birthday

CALGARY—Calgary-based Bellstar Hotels & Resorts celebrated its fifth birthday on May 1st, 2008. Established in 2003 by visionary, and now CEO & president, Ed Romanowski, Bellstar has established a boutique brand that is recognized as a leader in condo-resort management and development by the real estate and hospitality industries across Canada.

Over the past five years Bellstar has grown from just one resort under management in Canmore to nine resorts in operation, and seven more on the horizon in Alberta and British Columbia. Within a few years, Bellstar will have more than a thousand resort condo units under management. In addition, the Bellstar family has grown to encompass over a hundred and twenty-five hospitality professionals who are passionate about their work.
 
“The key to our success is rooted in our talented team of Bellstars and their dedication to pursuing Bellstar’s mission of delivering exceptional resort experiences, noted Romanowski. “We are elated that our organization has achieved so much over this short period of time.”

Delta Bessborough restaurant wins

SASKATOON—Saskatoon’s Samurai Japanese Restaurant, which has been operated by The Delta Bessborough for the past 27 years, took home two awards recently in Planet S Magazine’s readers choice poll.

The Samurai Japanese Restaurant took home the awards for “Best Japanese Restaurant” and “Best Unique Eating Experience” in a recently published poll by the Saskatoon-based magazine. The Samurai was also named “Best Unique Eating Experience” by the readers of Planet S Magazine.

Four diamonds for Bear Mountain

VICTORIA, BC—American Automobile Association (AAA) and Canada Select recognized The Westin Bear Mountain Victoria Golf Resort and Spa in British Columbia with the Four Diamond Award and Five Star Canada Select Resort Award, respectively, for the resort’s excellence in service, hospitality and hotel design. Nearly 31,000 hotel and resort properties across North America are approved by the AAA and CAA, while less than four percent are recognized with this prestigious distinction.

Fairmont sales winners in Bermuda




Fairmont paid tribute to its team of sales stars earlier this year with the naming of its President’s Circle and Master’s Award winners. In total, 15 of Fairmont’s most productive sellers were awarded the coveted President’s Circle honour, while 36 of the brand’s sales professionals were presented with a Master’s Award designation. To become eligible for the President’s Circle, a Fairmont seller is required to meet or exceed specific sales targets and must have accomplished this high standard at least twice previously during their career with the company. This is the highest honour afforded to Fairmont sellers. Fairmont Master’s Award winners are also required to achieve ambitious sales targets for the year.

Friends of We Care celebrate 25 years




TORONTO—When more than 1,000 people gathered at the Toronto Congress Centre recently for the Friends of We Care Gala, they celebrated the 25th anniversary of the charity that has raised almost $13 million over the years to send more than 30,000 children with disabilities to Easter Seals summer camps across Canada.

With its office in Ontario, the volunteer group has organizers working for it in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec.

Its members come from all parts of the foodservice industry: manufacturers, distributors, operators, media, brokers, management and marketing companies, and other related businesses.

Individuals who have made special contributions were recognized with awards at the gala.

The Gary Wright Humanitarian Award went to Hugh Kelly, senior vice-president of information technology and chief information officer at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. An avid golfer, Wright was encouraged to join We Care by colleagues at the LCBO, and he became chair of the annual LCBO fundraising golf event. He has worked with his assistant Anna Leung to organize volunteers to raise more than $750,000 with golf tournaments.

Dave Wilcox, who was Kelly’s colleague at the LCBO, received the Gary Wright Humanitarian award posthumously—he died of cancer last fall. In his 15 years of involvement with We Care, his fundraising efforts included wine tastings and food auctions at his cottage. Even after his death, the fundraising continues, with donations from curling and martial arts clubs in his memory.

Another posthumous honour, the We Care Hall of Fame Award, went to Reg Lambert who died in March last year. Lambert immigrated to Canada from his native South Africa in 1962, taking an accounting job in Labrador. After seven years he came to Ontario. He worked for Henney Penny and Millard Restaurant Equipment before becoming executive director of the R.E.D. Group as executive director. Eight years later, in 1990, he was recruited by a new equipment buying group, E.S.I. (Equipment and Supplies International) as director of marketing. He built a reputation for fair dealing and was known as a giant in the equipment sector of the foodservice industry.

The Corporate Friend of We Care Award went to Morgan Scott Partnership, a Bunzl division. It has been supporting We Care since 1997. When it was acquired in July 2006 by the global firm Bunzl Distribution, the CEO of Bunzl Distribution North America agreed without hesitation to continue supporting We Care.

Executive chef Marin Buehner and his kitchen brigade prepared the feast that people enjoyed while they were entertained by The Philosopher Kings.