Kootenay Granite Stone Soup Challenge chefs revealed
First competition sees Chef Doug Wagner of St. Eugene and Chef Lindsay Waugh of Hot Shots go toe-to-toe
CRANBROOK – This year’s Kootenay Granite Stone Soup Challenge begins with a solid base of returning chefs, sprinkled with brand-new culinary masterminds, seasoned with a small dash of up-and-coming talent, all served with a well-known local amateur chef.
The Cranbrook and District Community Foundation is pleased to announce the 2016 Kootenay Granite Stone Soup Challenge competitors:
- COTR culinary arts student Lindsay Waugh, Hot Shots Café
- Chef Doug Wagner, St. Eugene Mission Resort
- Chef Kevin McDonald, West Coast Grill
- Chef Rusty Cox, The Heid Out Restaurant and Brewhouse, Cranbrook
- Chef Graham Barnes, Max’s Place, Cranbrook.
- Chef Shelby Schiller, BJ’s Diner and Creekside Pub, Kimberley
- Cook Carmen Alaric, Salvation Army
- Amateur chef and Executive Director of the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce, David Hull
Competition begins Feb 16. The first chefs to face off are COTR culinary arts student Lindsay Waugh, Hot Shots Café, and Chef Doug Wagner, St. Eugene Mission Resort.
“It’s kind of nerve-wracking, but exciting too,” says Waugh. “I’m actually job shadowing at St. Eugene next week so that should be interesting – maybe I’ll get to size up Chef Wagner. I’m mostly looking forward to watching the chefs in the competition, seeing how their minds work, learning from them, and challenging myself.”
The two chefs will put their culinary creativity to the test in the soup kitchen at the Salvation Army in Cranbrook, each preparing a daily soup using only the donated ingredients on hand. They will serve lunch to Salvation Army clients, who will vote on their favourite soup. The winner will move on to the next round while their opponent is eliminated from the challenge.
New to competition this year is a first-round challenge: each chef may bring an ingredient the competing chef must use in his or her soup. Could me marshmallows. Could be olives. Could be cake sprinkles. However, chefs may buy out of the ingredient challenge for a $50 donation. But if the chef accepts the challenge ingredient and uses it in the preparation of their soup, five extra points will be awarded to their total votes.
“I’m just really looking forward to being back in the Salvation Army Kitchen and serving lunch to the clients there,” says Wagner. “It is an amazing experience and a ton of fun. I am honoured to be a part of this event.”
After two weeks of elimination rounds, only two chefs will remain undefeated. They will face-off at an exciting luncheon fundraiser on Wednesday, March 2, noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort. Tickets to the public event are available in two prices: $25 for lunch; or, $45 for lunch and a $20 charitable receipt. They can be purchased with cash at Max’s Place, through the CDCF office by calling 250.426.1119 or online through Snapd East Kootenay.
Proceeds support the Cranbrook and District Community Foundation (CDCF) general endowment fund, which provides annual grants to non-profit organizations in the community, as well as the Salvation Army in their efforts to build a 24/7 shelter in Cranbrook for homeless men, women, and families throughout the East Kootenay. Last year the Kootenay Granite Stone Soup Challenge raised more than $12,000.
Your 2016 Kootenay Granite Stone Soup Challenge chefs: (l-r) Kevin McDonald, Lindsay Waugh, Doug Wagner, Rusty Cox, Graham Barnes, Carmen Alaric, Shelby Schiller, David Hull
Kootenay Granite Stone Soup Competition–2016 Event schedule:
First round dates and match-ups:
Tuesday Feb 16 – COTR culinary arts student Lindsay Waugh, Hot Shots Café, and Chef Doug Wagner, St. Eugene Mission Resort
Thursday Feb 18 – Chef Graham Barnes, Max’s Place, and amateur chef and Executive Director of the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce, David Hull
Friday Feb 19 – Chef Kevin McDonald, West Coast Grill and Cook Carmen Alaric, Salvation Army
Monday February 22 – Chef Rusty Cox, The Heid Out Restaurant and Brewhouse, and Chef Shelby Schiller, BJ’s Diner and Creekside Pub, Kimberley
Semi-final match-ups:
Tuesday February 23 – TBD
Friday February 26 – TBD
Final match-up
Wednesday March 2 — TBD
Grand Finale fundraiser event will be held at the Prestige Inn Ballroom in Cranbrook, Wednesday, March 2, 2016, 12 noon-1:30 p.m. Lunch service at 12:15, winner announced 1:15.