Susan Knox Wilson
The PebbleCreek Food and Beverage Team brought home the coveted Robson Communities Chefs’ Gala Trophy and took top honors in the prestigious table top competition at the fifteenth annual Chefs’ Gala held January 20 at Robson Ranch, Arizona.
The event, created in 2004 by George Atwell, Vice President of Food and Beverage Operations, Robson Communities Inc., has grown over the years to be one of the highlights of the season. Every year, chefs from each of the Robson Communities in Arizona and Texas pick a protein out of a hat and create their own menu around their protein choice. Planning for the event starts a year in advance. A limited number of tickets are available for each community and it is the 300-plus attendees who sample the food and wine, judge the presentation and then vote for the winning chef and their team.
In addition to the chef’s competition, a table top competition is held and the theme for this year’s event, New York, New York, was creatively interpreted by competing banquet and event managers in their displays.
“Bringing the trophy back to PebbleCreek this year was truly a team effort,” declared Melissa Gonzales, Director of Food and Beverage. “All three of our chefs, Mary Ahrens, Jonathan Hofberger, and Robert Nixon created the award-winning menu together and worked with our outstanding Food and Beverage staff to design and create the small plate offering and wine pairing. And, Crystal Thomas and her Banquet and Catering team really knocked it out of the clubhouse with their table top presentation! I am so proud of the entire team.”