Who's News in Catering for March 10, 2023

Hot Off the Presses

Informa (LSE: INF.L), the international Academic Markets, B2B Markets and Digital Services Group (parent company of Catersource) announced the acquisition of B2B Events group, Tarsus for $940M. Tarsus is the parent company of Connect Meetings and BizBash.

Accolades

The Seafood Excellence Awards annually recognize the product leaders in the North American seafood market. Each year, exhibitors have the opportunity to submit their new products for consideration. Products are evaluated by three seafood industry experts based on their uniqueness and appropriateness to the market, taste profile, packaging, market potential, convenience, nutritional value and originality.

The 2023 finalists were selected from 71 entries in the exposition’s New Product Showcase and compete for two awards: Best New Foodservice Product and Best New Retail Product.

The finalists in the foodservice category are:

The finalists in the retail category are: 

Venue News

T&T Innovation Kitchen - located at JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa (Palm Desert’s largest resort) - is now officially open for private group dining and event bookings. With no set menu, Time & Temperature “T&T” Innovation Kitchen offers an ever-changing five-course tasting menu designed by the resort's Chefs, carefully crafted based on event/private party requests as well as seasonal and innovative offerings, utilizing the restaurant’s very own herb garden. At the helm is the resort’s Executive Chef, Eric Theiss who is passionate about bringing the best culinary experiences to the desert. With sustainability being an important part of the JW brand, Eric is further integrating the farm fresh concept and elevating food quality and limiting environmental impact by using local and organic products. The T&T innovation Kitchen experience, which includes expert wine pairings, is hosted by chefs with a deep love of their craft, commenting on the art & style of each course. The inside space is 630 Sq ft. with a robust outside patio on offer, too.

Catersource + The Special Event Exhibitor News

Polar Leasing is displaying an 8’x10’ outdoor refrigerated or freezer walk-in unit at Catersource Booth No. 1507, where Chance Odle, an operations program manager, and David Kelty, an inside sales representative, will be available to discuss the company’s equipment, as well as catering industry trends.  

Products on the Market

At this year’s Seafood Expo North America (SENA), taking place at the Boston Convention Center from Sunday March 12 through Tuesday, March 14, Buena Vista Seafood, a San Francisco-based boutique seafood brokerage specializing in bringing premium seafood offerings into North America, will debut an entirely new species of fish, the Articas Spotted Wolffish. The Atticus Spotted Wolffish is most similar to Chilean Sea Bass, although a little meatier. It is a rich fish with a buttery taste.  It is not prone to overfishing, is low in mercury, is not packed in Styrofoam and is easy to prepare, impossible to overcook and always sashimi-grade. 

Better Earth’s square Better Bowls are made of compostable and sustainable bamboo, with compostable bioplastic lids. The Better Bowls come in 20, 30, and 40oz with a clear PLA lids & white CPLA lids that are great for a variety of hot and cold foods. Its PLA-lining can withstand high heat and heavy moisture foods and its low center of gravity makes it ideal for take-out or delivery.  

People on the Move

CKC Good Food, a school food service management and event catering company, has promoted Katie Fairbanks to the newly created position of chief operating officer/integrator. In this position, Fairbanks is accountable for all business operations, helping the company achieve its vision and execute its business plan. She leads strategic planning activities and the company’s pursuit of identified growth opportunities. Fairbanks joined CKC in September 2013 as an administrative assistant and was soon promoted to human resources manager. She took on the additional role of financial controller in 2015, the same time she was promoted to director of human resources. With a master’s degree in public administration, Fairbanks brings knowledge of government policies and procedures to CKC and helps oversee the company’s service to organizations operating under federal nutrition programs. “Although CKC is a private company, it really bridges the gap between public and private entities,” Fairbanks said. “Every day, we provide a public service to thousands. Knowing what we are a part of and the support we bring, especially to those who are under-serviced or financially struggling, drives me every day.” 

Omni La Costa Resort & Spa is pleased to announce the appointment of Chef John Beriker to its culinary team as Executive Chef, overseeing the resort’s extensive food and beverage operations, including the property’s signature restaurants VUE and Bar Traza, along with all catering for meetings, banquets, and much more.  Chef John Beriker brings over 30 years of experience to the team at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, having traveled the globe cooking in some of the world’s best kitchens. Chef Beriker learned the hospitality trade at a young age from his father, and after honing his skills at culinary school, Chef Beriker worked for Wolfgang Puck at the world-famous Restaurant Spago in Hollywood, California. He then took his talents to Australia where he took on the role of Executive Chef at the Five Star Swissotel Merchant Court. He later worked at the world-renowned Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg, Germany, where he earned the title of Best New Chef of the Year from the prestigious Gault Maillau. Throughout his career, Chef Beriker has owned award-winning restaurants and penned his own cookbook for the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. He has spent the last several years refining his craft with stints in Thailand, Guam, and Singapore where his restaurant was awarded Best New Restaurant of the Year by the Ministry of Tourism.  Chef Beriker will oversee all food and beverage operations on property, encompassing catering, banquets, meetings, and all on-property dining venues; most notably, VUE, a lively and contemporary restaurant offering “VUEs” of the resort’s iconic golf grounds and lush, green rolling hills, and Bar Traza, a Spanish Colonial-inspired setting offering rustic Mediterranean shared plates. One project that Chef Beriker is excited to bring to his new role is the Test Kitchen Series, an intimate, family-style dining experience where guests can interact directly with Chef Beriker and his team. Through this series, guests will be able to “VUE” an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse of what is currently inspiring Chef Beriker and his team by trying an ever-changing line-up of 6-8 dishes in development for the menu; guests will be able to explore new flavors, share direct feedback with Chef Beriker, and have the opportunity to influence future menus.