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(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich) – Some of the area’s most noted chefs and culinary leaders return to the stage at the 2nd Annual Grand Rapids International Wine & Food Festival, November 12-14, in the Steelcase Ballroom at DeVos Performance Hall, including:
Angus Campbell
A City and Guilds Master Craftsman, with over 29 years of experience, Chef Angus Campbell was born and raised on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. Beginning his professional career, Chef Campbell worked at the Bahamas Hotel Training College where he became the Department Chair for their Culinary Arts Department before moving to Grand Rapids where he currently teaches in the Culinary Arts program as Chef-Instructor in the Heritage Restaurant for Lunch Service.
Sue Dow
Sue Dow is widely known for her international tasting / educational tours, as an advisor to countless retail and food service entities, and for her line of cooking spices and seasonings. In 2000, she launched Sue Chef – a personal chef service, creating custom, healthy meals in the homes of her clients. In 2002, Sue moved into the grocery retail arena by opening the first ever recreational cooking school in the Midwest – located in Grand Rapids. Currently Sue Chef is working with Meijer stores on several projects including the Meijer demo kitchen at the Cascade store. Sue Chef shares many of her quick and easy recipes daily at the store where you can sample as well as take home the recipe cards. Over the years, she has successfully evolved from a personal chef to culinary consultant and recreational culinary educator, to now PBS cooking show hostess and cookbook author.
Scott Hunter
No stranger to the food service industry, Scott Hunter has worked in hotels and resorts throughout the United States. His work as Executive Pastry Chef has lead him to several of the country's top 5-star properties, including the Mauni Lani Bay Hotel in Hawaii, The Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, the re-opening of the Beverly Hills Hotel in California, and currently at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids. Scott has been active in culinary competitions, earning ACF Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and two "Best of Show" awards. Scott was also a member of the 1992 Team USA, Southwest Region. While in Michigan, he has won the MSU Chocolate Competition five times and was invited to compete in the 2007 National Pastry Challenge in Nashville, TN. Scott is a mentor to the Fruitport Michigan Pro-Start High School Cooking Competition -- helping the team win four consecutive titles and three top-five awards at the national level.
Tony Lawrence
For over 27 years, Tony "Wine Chef" Lawrence has been trained as a chef, sommelier, certified wine judge, freelance writer, lecturer, and a food and wine educator. He is the owner of A Chef for You, LLC based in Philadelphia, PA, a lifestyle wine and food public relations and consulting company. Globally, he works as a food and wine pairing specialist and event planner with major wineries, importers, distributors and fine wine shops. Some of his accomplishments include being the first African-American chef and sommelier at two highly regarded country clubs in Philadelphia, PA, three years as the executive chef and sommelier with the NFL Philadelphia Eagles, and six years on movie sets catering to the stars. He is a passionate professional who tastes approximately 700 wines and about 250 pairings a month. That is why his cooking demos are fun and memorable to the last pairing.
Shari Steinbach
For the past 17 years Shari has worked as a dietitian in the grocery industry and has served as the Lead Corporate Dietitian for Meijer in Grand Rapids, Michigan since 2003. She manages consumer health communication, community events, nutrition programs, and solution selling strategies with a team of three other dietitians. Shari currently serves as the chair of the Supermarket Dietitian subgroup under the Food and Culinary Professionals dietetic practice group.
Eric Villegas
Award winning chef restaurateur, cookbook author and television personality, Eric Villegas has done more than any other culinarian to introduce the country to the regional and local foods of his beloved Michigan and the Great Lakes. From 1987 - 2007, Chef Villegas owned and operated Restaurant Villegas and Dusty's Wine Bar, two of mid-Michigan's most unique and award winning regional restaurants. He has won two regional EMMY awards as host for the popular show "Fork", which airs on PBS and offers his unique take on regional and sustainable Michigan Agriculture and cuisine to the rest of the country. He is also the author of "Fork in the Road with Eric Villegas", which brings recipes, cooking tips and culinary history based on the Great Lakes food scene. Villegas keeps a busy schedule with no signs of slowing down. He keeps his culinary calendar full shooting new episodes of "Fork", cooking demonstrations, book signings and public appearances.
The 2nd Annual Grand Rapids International Wine & Food Festival is expected to draw some 10,000+ individuals throughout the three days, making it the largest food and wine festival in the state and one of the premier events of its kind in the Midwest. From the connoisseur who lives and breathes for the finer things in life to the novice looking for an introduction to the world of wine, food and other culinary delights, the International Wine & Food Festival in Grand Rapids delivers a grand experience that is sure to please every palette.
For more information about the 2nd Annual Grand Rapids International Wine & Food Festival: www.GRWineFestival.com or 800-328-6550.
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