Industry News for October 12, 2024

People on the Move

MAX Ultimate Food, a full-service catering company that serves Boston and the Greater New England area, announced today the hiring of a new Executive Chef, Joshua Campbell.  While growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, Chef Joshua Campbell knew at a young age that his passion for food would lead to great success. Doing what he loves, cooking, Chef Joshua brings people together to celebrate life’s moments while creating memorable flavors and experiences. Chef Joshua began his culinary journey in 2001, and his impressive achievements span over two decades in the food and hospitality industry. He started at The Florida Culinary Institute, and his rapid learning in the restaurant world led him to Nassau, Bahamas in 2007 as the only 5-star chef at Graycliff. As Director of Cuisine, he elevated Graycliff to new heights, fostering a positive work environment that enhanced employee engagement and increased retention rates. In 2014, Chef Joshua moved to the British Virgin Islands, where he took on the role of Executive Chef at The Dove, overseeing business operations, inventory control, and customer service. Through his extensive knowledge of the islands and his dedication to his profession, both Graycliff and The Dove became top restaurant destinations in the Caribbean during his tenure. Chef Joshua served as Executive Chef at Django LLC in Cincinnati, Ohio from 2015 - 2021. During his time there, he maximized profitability by focusing on food costs and minimizing waste. He remained committed to the community he served, which was evident in the seasonal menu items highlighting fresh and locally sourced ingredients. Chef Joshua was most recently based in Key West, Florida, where he held the position of Executive Chef for Highgate Hotels. In this role, he improved kitchen productivity by introducing new culinary techniques to the restaurant staff through collaboration and innovation. Known for his creative culinary skills and strong leadership, Chef Joshua’s ability to drive excellence through kitchen management, menu development, and team training does not go unnoticed. He will continue to be a driving force at MAX Ultimate Food, combining his expertise in food management and commitment to quality and sustainability, while keeping team collaboration at the forefront. Chef Joshua lives in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and enjoys going to farmers markets, checking out local restaurants, and going to the beach in his free time.   

Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina is proud to announce the appointment of James McIver as Executive Chef. A native of San Bernardino, California, James brings over 25 years of culinary expertise, blending his Southern roots, Creole heritage, and classical European training from Michelin-starred kitchens in Paris, Provence, San Sebastián, and Yountville, California. As he steps into his new role, Chef James envisions transforming the restaurant into a premier culinary destination that reflects the vibrant diversity of Southern California. Drawing inspiration from the South Bay’s fresh seafood, local produce, and the rich cultural heritage of Los Angeles, he aims to craft a menu that tells a story with every dish—blending tradition, innovation, and a deep connection to the region. In addition, James will introduce Marina Brunch: Art & Sound, an immersive weekend experience that blends coastal California cuisine with Latin soul, complemented by live music and curated visual art. This brunch is set to become a signature offering at the hotel, drawing both guests and locals for a truly unique, sensory dining experience. With a proven track record at renowned properties like W San Francisco and The Westin Los Angeles Airport, James McIver is excited to bring his vision to life, ensuring the restaurant becomes a standout dining experience for both visitors and the local community. 

UNOX, a global leader in innovative commercial kitchen solutions, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mark Garcia as the new Active Marketing Chef (AMC) for the Texas region, covering Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Western Tennessee. In his new role, Garcia will spearhead UNOX’s reach and relationship with the channel, as well as drive sales and nurture end-user relationships. He will focus on delivering cutting-edge Individual Cooking Experiences and conducting Top-Training sessions for culinary professionals. His experience and leadership will be instrumental in showcasing UNOX’s industry-leading solutions and ensuring customer satisfaction across multiple market segments in the Texas region. With more than 15 years of industry experience, Garcia brings a proven track record in driving growth and expertise in helping culinary teams maximize their potential. Garcia holds a degree in Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America. He also earned his MBA from

 Hot Off the Presses

Downey Ridge Environmental Company (“Greasezilla”) and bp announce a groundbreaking agreement that will enable the capture and extraction of brown grease waste as a feedstock for biofuel production, marking a step forward in sustainable energy production. As part of the agreement, bp will finance the expansion of Greasezilla’s production facilities to support the delivery of brown grease feedstock to the market, aimed at furthering the renewable diesel (RD) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) markets. Greasezilla’s industry-leading technology extracts nearly pure brown grease from grease trap waste and refines it into biofuel feedstock. This can play a pivotal role in the future development of a nationwide platform to manage fats, oils, and grease (FOG), waste material derived from commercial kitchens and commodity processing that has typically been incinerated or landfilled until now. Brown grease poses a costly challenge for many cities nationwide, as its disposal is both expensive and complex. 

The World Food Championships (WFC) is proud to announce an expanded commitment to environmental sustainability at this year's event in Indianapolis, November 8-12, 2024. As the world’s largest food sport competition, WFC is leveraging its platform to promote sustainable food practices and eco-friendly materials throughout the championship experience. In alignment with this mission, WFC has partnered with the Chefs’ Manifesto, a global network of chefs advocating for the transformation of food systems to ensure good food for all. Grounded in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Chefs’ Manifesto focuses on driving action to achieve SDG2: protecting biodiversity, encouraging local and seasonal foods, focussing on food safety and healthy diets, as well as ensuring food is accessible and affordable for all. With chefs across more than 95 countries, the initiative advocates for food that is good for people and the planet, helping WFC promote conscious ingredient sourcing during the competition. The Chefs’ Manifesto supports the "Beans is How" campaign – a campaign with the mission to double the global consumption of beans (as well as peas, lentils, and other pulses) by 2028 - and WFC will be requiring competitors to create a dish featuring beans in the Opening Round of the World Vegetarian Championship. Additionally, WFC chefs will incorporate produce, proteins, and ingredients grown with respect for the earth, making sustainability a key element of this year's event. Additionally, WFC is excited to announce an extension to their strategic partnership with Natural Tableware, a leader in sustainable tableware solutions designed to reduce plastic waste. Natural Tableware produces high-quality, biodegradable products made from renewable resources like sugarcane and palm leaves. Their mission is to eliminate single-use plastics from the culinary industry by providing eco-friendly alternatives that combine elegance with functionality. At this year's WFC, Natural Tableware’s products will replace traditional plastic disposables in all areas of the event, from making products available for all competitors in the opening rounds to premium events such as the Taste of WFC and Grand Tastings. This partnership reinforces WFC’s goal to elevate the culinary experience while minimizing environmental impact. 

Products on the Market

Frontline International announces the release of its reimagined M3 Data Management System. Rebuilt from the ground up, the new M3 improves every facet of its operating system plus adds valuable new features and a software upgrade that is the pinnacle of system security. The reloaded M3 is data management that takes today’s foodservice kitchens into tomorrow. With M3, kitchen managers track oil use, filtration, and handling, schedule used cooking oil pickups and fresh oil delivery, execute equipment health checks, and benchmark against reports on oil efficiencies across six continents. The result is a real-time accounting of usage and profits, a databank to drive profitable decisions, and remote oversight of moment-by-moment kitchen operations. Users gain the utmost in upgraded security features, including OIDC authentication through Microsoft Azure, integration capability with their own SSO (single sign-on) provider, the latest security certificates and protocols, a unique database to avoid cross-organization data access, and strict permissions and roles for specific access to features at unique permission levels. Only registered devices are permitted to talk to the IoT server. 

Better Earth, a leader in sustainable foodservice packaging solutions, today announced its acquisition of Betterbin, a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that optimizes recycling and composting education for consumers, retailers and businesses. This acquisition bolsters Better Earth's mission to create a regenerative circular economy by providing seamless, tech-driven solutions that divert food packaging waste from landfills, improve compliance with solid waste regulations and meet local sustainability goals. With only around 5% of plastics currently being recycled in the United States, the need for smarter waste solutions is more urgent than ever. Betterbin's platform provides real-time, hyperlocal insights into what waste infrastructure is available and what materials are accepted in local recycling and composting programs. Betterbin specializes in curating packaging materials and waste management data, providing consumers with clear instructions on how to dispose of packaging correctly. This expertise will support Better Earth's mission to help restaurants and food service operators make informed packaging choices that comply with state and local regulations. By preventing the purchase of non-compliant or non-recyclable packaging, Better Earth's upcoming software will help businesses cut down on landfill waste, meet regulations, and offer consumers more sustainable end-of-life solutions for their packaging. As a Certified B Corporation, Better Earth is committed to transparency, social and environmental leadership, and strengthening the circular economy within the restaurant and foodservice industries. The acquisition of Betterbin enhances Better Earth's ability to offer a full spectrum of sustainable packaging solutions, while integrating cutting-edge technology to optimize end-of-life recycling and composting practices.