WATSONVILLE, CA – MAY 20, 2022 – California Giant Berry Farms is now accepting entries for its annual California Giant Chef Invitational. Now in its 4th year, the California Giant Chef Invitational is a nationwide culinary competition that calls upon chefs to think outside the box and create innovative, original dishes featuring fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
The Chef Invitational invites foodservice partners, corporate chefs, restaurant chefs and beyond to compete by submitting a main dish recipe that showcases the versatility of fresh berries. Chefs are encouraged to enter their extraordinary creation before the submission deadline of June 24, 2022.
A panel of judges will determine a group of semi-finalists whose recipes will progress to a public voting round via website to determine the People’s Choice Award winner, as well as additional finalists.
The People’s Choice Winner and Chef Invitational Finalists will travel to California’s Central Coast at the end of August to tour various California Giant fields and facilities, enjoy varietal tastings, meal events and more. Following the tours and educational activities, the finalists will present their dishes to guests and a panel of judges during an exclusive event that will occur August 30-31, 2022, where the winner of the Top Chef title will be determined.
The Top Chef will receive a $1,000 check, a $1,000 donation to the charity of their choice, and a commemorative plaque. The Top Chef will be invited to travel and represent California Giant at the IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show in Orlando, Florida in October and serve as the company’s Chef Ambassador. The People’s Choice Winner will receive a $500 check and a donation of $500 to the charity of their choice.
“We’re thrilled to be returning for an in-person Chef Invitational,” said Tom Smith, director of sales at California Giant Berry Farms. “The foodservice industry suffered during the pandemic. With the return to in-person events—and the rise of dining in-person— we are excited to provide a platform to the many talented chefs in our industry to showcase their skills through innovative applications using berries.”
The California Giant Berry Farms Chef Invitational continues to garner more awareness of the brand and highlight the abundant talent within the foodservice industry.
We look forward to seeing the unique dishes that are submitted this year!
For more information on how to apply to the 2022 California Giant Chef Invitational, visit https://promos.calgiant.com/chef-invitational-2022.
Enter the trace back code from your berries to learn about where they were grown. Too bad we can’t deliver the fresh fragrance, too!