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Chef Jet’s culinary operations includes VP Culinary of Pei Wei Group 148 restaurants & Managing Partner Dragon Tiger Noodle Co in Las Vegas.  He has partnerships with Compass Group, Schwan’s & NBC Universal/DreamWorks.  His food reaches millions of people a year.

He appears as co-host of Iron Chef America and recurring judge on Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen, Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay and Guy’s Grocery Games. As well as an array of shows ranging from the Today, MasterChef, Rachel Ray and holds six culinary Guinness World Records.

Chef Chris Aquilino is an award winning, chef, culinary leader, sustainability expert, culinary architect,brand ambassadoradvisor, author,and artistwith 30 plus years of industry experience.Theculinarydriving force behindnumerousmulti–million–dollar national foodservice concepts, andbrandsspecializing in recipe development, branded content creation, smart menu design,culinarysustainability, food waste management and recovery food styling, and photography.Chris istheChiefCulinary Officer for Further Culinary Group, a boutiquefood serviceconsulting andcreativefirm out of Charlotte NC,the Photographer and Food Stylist andCulinaryAmbassador forForever Oceans, and the VP of the Charlotte Chapter of the American Culinary Federation.

PHONE: 828.390.1926

WEBSITE:

www.chefchrisaquilino.com

www.furtherculinarygroup.com

EMAIL:chris@chefchrisaquilino.com

Twitter: @AquilinoChef

Instagram: @chef_chris_aquilino

@further_culinaryFacebook

@ ChefAquilino

Chef Bryan is a Raleigh native with 21 years in the foodservice industry.  Bryan’s culinary background is diverse, including being a Grant Writer and Cheese Maker for a non-profit dairy farm in Hudson Valley, NY, Head Baker at Rendezvous Bay Hotel, Anguilla, BWI, Chef at Bank of America headquarters in Charlotte, NC, and Food and Beverage Director for Hilton properties. 

Jeremy Bevins started his culinary career almost 2 decades ago and has never looked back.  A love for not only food and fresh ingredients, but also fire and knives, paved his future at an early age.  With a philosophy of the highest quality ingredients paired with a strong knowledge of fundamental classical techniques, Chef Bevins creates exceptional food while pushing the limits.

Chef Bevins has built his culinary expertise at such restaurants as The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia under the late Master Chef Peter Timmins, and The Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro, North Carolina, a Relais & Chateaux property and the only AAA Five Diamond/ Forbes Five Star property in North Carolina.  Locally in Charlotte, Chef Bevins has had the opportunity to continue his craft as Sous Chef at Dean and Deluca, Metropolitan Catering, The Customshop Restaurant, and Executive Chef at The Ivey.

Chef Jeremy Bevins currently has his Associate in Culinary Arts, Bachelors in Business Administration, and Masters in Business Administration, and is an American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef and proud member.

Originally from southern California, Robert graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte North Carolina with a degree in Foodservice Management. Since college, Robert has spent his culinary career in 4 and 5 diamond hotels on both coasts, as well as at some of the top private country clubs in the country. For Reinken, seafood has always been a large part of his culinary inspiration.

Peter Reinhart is the Chef on Assignment at Johnson & Wales University. He is based in Charlotte, NC, where he also serves as the Executive Director of the Johnson & Wales International Symposium on Bread.

Peter is the author of 14 books on bread, pizza, and food and culture (for which he won four James Beard Awards), and serves as a consulting chef and product developer for a number of international companies and restaurants, including Amy’s Kitchen, The Center for Culinary Development, Pizzeria Uno, Pure Pizza, The Noble Restaurant Group, and many others.

His TED Talk on “The Art, Craft, and Meaning of Bread” has been seen by over a million viewers. Peter has also served as a Board member for the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals), The Seventh Street Public Market, and the Community Culinary School of Charlotte. His many appearances on television and radio, as well as his ongoing video podcast series, Pizza Quest (www.pizzaquest.com), and conference presentations and classes, has made Peter a highly recognized figure in the culinary world.

A New England native, Alexandra began her career working under Chef Todd English at the Olives Group in Boston.  She went on to found Green Delicious Cooking Company, an award-winning Boston-area catering company providing chef services to on-location film productions and professional athletes.  She was the 2015 Grand Champion of the Food Games, New York City, a competition put on by WCR (Women Chefs and Restaurateurs.)

For the past thirteen years, she has focused her culinary energy on working with best-in-class foodservice equipment companies, first as Culinary Director for Eurostoves, then spending five years as the Executive Chef for New England for combi oven manufacturer RATIONAL AG.

Currently she is the Corporate Chef for the Eastern US for Wood Stone Corporation, a Bellingham, Washington based manufacturer of stone hearth ovens and wood-fired rotisseries as well as tandoors, planchas and vertical churrasco style rotisseries.

Frenchmen Nico Abello was 15 years old when he entered the hospitality industry. He apprenticed for two years in the front-of-house before he began work at Gérard Vié’s two- Michelin-star Les Trois Marches in Versailles. There, Abello remained in FOH but spent much of his time (too much) at the pass. One day, the chef grabbed him and said, if you want to spend more time in the kitchen, put on a jacket. Abello slipped into chef whites and never looked back. He worked for there for three years, earning his chops and collecting the building blocks on which the rest of his career would be built.    

Abello then moved to London to work at the restaurant of iconic French chef Pierre Gagnaire at Sketch. He eventually returned to Paris, continuing to cook traditional French cuisine at various restaurants, learning from the disciples of other iconic French chefs like Joël Robuchon. Next, he visited New York, becoming gainfully employed cooking at Daniel. Abello would return to France once more—learning the catering business—before returning to New York permanently.    

In 2016, L’Appart opened in Manhattan’s massive French food hall Le District, with Abello cooking as if he’s hosting every guest personally at his own flat, conjuring an intimate fine dining experience that evokes the spirit of a dinner party. Just nine months after its first service, L’Appart was awarded a Michelin star and kept it this recognition since then.

In my opinion one’s philosophy changes with experience and an understanding of their own beliefs regarding an idea or circumstance. My philosophies of cooking techniques, hospitality, business management and communication have evolved throughout my almost 20 years of experience. My goal is to remain focused on never compromising the growth of these ideas by neglecting to listen to my environment, clients, fellow employees or colleagues.

In 2012, Battocletti moved to Chicago to further his skillset at the Alinea Group restaurant, Next. Rising through the ranks quickly, Battocletti became a sous chef after only a couple of months and continued to work under chef Grant Achatz and Dave Beran for the next four years. After his time at Next, Battocletti began working for Lettuce Entertain You, one of the country’s largest privately

owned restaurant groups. He spent time as executive chef of Mon Ami Gabi, RPM Italian, and RPM Steak, while also helping to develop the RPM Seafood menu.

Chef William is a native of North Carolina and a professionally trained chef in multiple Michelin starred restaurants. William has a rich background in working with the highest quality seafood on the global market.  His first professional culinary job was working with Mike Lata at his highly acclaimed seafood restaurant. In 2015 William took a position at world-renowned The French Laundry restaurant where he was eventually promoted to the position of sous chef. Today, William brings his expertise of ultra fine dining to Knife Pleat, an elegant and approachable French restaurant located in Costa Mesa, CA. Knife Pleat earned their first Michelin Star in September of 2021 and are going for number two.

Podcast: The Recipe Podcast: Celebrity Secrets to a Successful Life 

www.chefcharlescarroll.com @chefcarro

I started my cooking career in my father’s restaurant when I was 13 years old.  The restaurant started as a humble neighborhood bar & grill in the suburbs of Buffalo, NY.  The restaurant grew into popular casual fine dining destination and I became serious about cooking professionally.   I attended culinary school at a local culinary college in Buffalo, NY.  Through culinary school I was urged by one of my Chef instructors to try out for the American Culinary Federations Regional Hot Food Competition Team to which I served as team captain for 3 years and won 1 bronze and 2 silver medals.  I was nominated as the ACF’s Student Chef of the Year in 2005 and placed second in the Northeast.  Competitions are where I feel I gained the “classical training” and set the trajectory for the rest of my career.  I was presented opportunities to go elsewhere but chose to stay in Buffalo as it was on the cusp of a large revitalization in the Culinary Scene in which I seen an opportunity to make a name for myself and my food.  I left my father’s restaurant at the age of 21 and worked in various private clubs in the city while still competing and coaching young ACF culinarians in hot food competitions.  After moving around from private clubs to other restaurants in the city, I got my first sous chef job at 24 years old in a casual fine dining restaurant in South Buffalo.  The owners were CIA grads and esteemed local chefs that worked in Switzerland, Austria, Jamaica and Lake Tahoe.  They were pioneers of farm to table in Buffalo and also regarded as the first real “fusion” style restaurant, elevating blue collar food with international influences.  After 2 years as Sous Chef, I was promoted to Executive Chef and was nominated as Best Chef of Buffalo 2013 by the Buffalo News. I served as executive chef there for 7 years until moving on to Executive Chef of Savor Restaurant in the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute running their fine dining restaurant and retail outlets.  I have also worked part time as a private Chef for the Jacobs Family for the past 2 years, who’s patriarch serves as chairman of Delaware North and are the owners of the Boston Bruins.  

Michael A. Beers, C.E.C. grew up on a small farm in upstate New York and received his culinary
education through a formal apprenticeship and a series of stages that have taken him from New York
to London, Arizona, France, and Boston before making North Carolina his home.

Michael had an appreciation of fresh foods from an early age and was exposed to heirloom gardening
and seed-saving at his father’s side, (before they were buzz-words). He started cooking at age four but
did not start cooking professionally until the age of twenty. After leaving his position as Sous Chef at
the Thousand Island Yacht Club, he spent time catering in London, England before returning to New
York for his apprenticeship in the kitchen of LaFayette Country Club under the tutelage of Michael
Redmond, CEC, CCM, he then moved to Arizona where he spent four years working in hotels and
resorts for Doubletree Hotels. Returning to the east coast, Michael spent time opening restaurants,
working in private clubs, and catering in and around Boston.

Immediately before accepting the position that brought him to North Carolina as personal chef for
NASCAR Champion Brad Keselowski, Michael spent the previous decade as the Executive Chef for
several White Mountain resorts in northern New Hampshire. While working for Mr. Keselowski, Chef
Beers simultaneously owned and operated the Tavern at Sunset Hill in Sugar Hill, NH, a 100-seat
restaurant serving “contemporary American tavern fare.” Seeking new opportunities, Michael left the
tavern at the beginning of 2019, and is currently the Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Director of
River Run Country Club in Davidson, NC.

Chef Beers is an active member of the American Culinary Federation and World Association of Cook’s
Societies, Club and Resort Chefs Association, Chef’s Collaborative, and Slow Foods USA, and is
professionally certified as an Executive Chef through the American Culinary Federation’s Educational
Institute. Michael currently resides in Hickory, NC with his family.

CHEF IRAJ FERNANDO has transformed the foodservice at Bosch LLC and Onsite Business and Institutions by:

• BRINGING creativity to menu selections, which often rival fine-dining restaurants, through fresh cooking and a No Repeats philosophy

• Go above and Beyond introducing American Regional and Global Adventuresome Cooking over 25 years. to B&I Cafes Kitchens and their associates, Home Cooks.

• INCREASING daily participation to as high as 80% through impeccable customer service

• MENTORING his staff to encourage them to produce the best food possible

• BECOMING a Southern ambassador to bring in new accounts

Iraj Fernando has not allowed his 13 years of restaurant experience to be forgotten since his switch to non-commercial. As Senior executive chef for Southern Foodservice Management, at Bosch LLC in Broadview, Ill., Fernando has used his restaurant mentality to dramatically improve the culinary offerings for Bosch’s employees. But it isn’t just the food that has increased his café’s participation to as high as 80%. Fernando’s skills with customers has also made him successful.

Restaurant-minded: Iraj Fernando ‘s culinary career began early on, A native of Sri Lanka, Fernando came to Chicago when he was 18. His original aspiration was to become Sound recording engineer, or an artist but while attending City Colleges of Chicago a friend hooked him up with a dishwashing job. Iraj’s culinary career began early on, Lettuce Entertain you and Levy Organizations, two giant restaurateur their love and respect for quality and tradition. After a stint at his sister’s Po Boy restaurant in Houston, Fernando returned to Chicago, Fernando sought opportunities to further develop his own creativity help by his friend where he took a job as a chef at Bigsby’s restaurant. Partially owned by Michael Jordan,

“I had no formal education as a chef, but I knew I could do it,” Fernando says. “So, I came back to Chicago and within a few days I was working at Bigsby’s. I worked there from 1989 until 1996. Then I heard that this company called Southern Foodservice was looking for a chef. At that point I didn’t know about this side of the business. The rest is history.” Fernando says Southern Leadership gave him the freedom to translate what he did in restaurants to Bosch LLC Kitchens.

Fernando’s dedication to restaurant customer service has also translated to Bosch. This was especially evident when Fernando realized he was losing catering events to some five-star restaurants.

Fernando began a campaign to keep at least some of these events in house, He started by convincing a couple of meeting planners to give him the opportunity to develop a menu like what the event planner was looking at from a restaurant. Iraj and his staff not only succeeded in pulling off the event, but the guests said his selections and the quality of the food rivaled any five-star restaurants they had been to.

Iraj is also the proud father of Daughter Jari and wife Maria. Reside in Schaumburg, IL.