What does a professional chef do?

• Prepare approximately 400 heaping tablespoons ready to serve or prepare onsite.
• Work with a participating winery to prepare small tastings of food that complements their wine.
• Each professional chef can bring along one sous chef to assist.
• There is no entry fee. We would greatly appreciate a donation to our silent and live auctions.

How much food do I need to prepare?

You should prepare 400 one-ounce servings of your dish to complement the winery you're paired with.   DON'T PANIC, that's not as much as it sounds. One ounce is only one tablespoon, or a sushi size bite.
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Do I prepare my food at the event?

No. Cooking facilities are not available at the event. You will primarily be serving, not cooking at the event. You may choose to cut, garnish, dip, sprinkle, assemble, etc, but we strongly recommend that you prepare as much as possible ahead of time.
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Can I bring an assistant?

Yes. This is recommended especially if you want to step away from your table and sample some of the competition’s food. Professional chefs are entitled to bring one (1) sous chef to help. You and your sous chef must check in at the same time. Because we truly appreciate your participation as one of our professional chef(s),you can purchase additional tickets at a discounted price of $40 each (limit 10).
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How much space will I have?

You will have 6-foot table for serving and another half of an 6-foot table behind you for preparation.  You will be located next to the winery chosen for your pairing.
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Do I need to provide a copy of my recipe?

We encourage you to provide a copy of your recipe so that it can be entered in our future cookbook along with some information about you and your restaurant/catering service (with your permission, of course. Consider having courtesy copies of your recipe available at your table. Chefs at prior events have printed postcard size recipe cards and displayed them at their table as promotional material.
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Do I need to bring anything to serve the food?
Yes and no. Don't forget to bring whatever knives, spatulas, ladles or tongs you may need to serve your dish. However, small plastic cups and napkins will be provided for the individual servings. If your dish requires something unusual for the individual serving (skewers, for example) you should bring your own. Guests will be provided with plates, glasses and eating utensils.
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How can I keep my food hot/warm/cold?
It's best to bring your own ice chests or insulated boxes to hold the food at the desired temperature. A limited number of warming trays and propane burners are available by advanced reservation. The availability of electricity is extremely limited.  If you have special needs, the SRJC Culinary Kitchen may be able to assist if your request is made in advance.
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When and where, do I show up to set up my table?
You and your sous chef must check in at Participant Registration which is located at the north side of the building. Please be prepared for a maximum15 minute limit unloading time. This allows for a steady flow of traffic behind you. Don’t worry, unloading assistance will be available to you.

At registration, you will receive your name badges and location of your assigned station. Check in time starts at 3:00pm. Event doors open at 5:00pm so be ready to start serving by 4:45pm.
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When is it the event over?
Serving winds down around 8:00pm, at which time awards are presented. The awards and auction begins around 8:00 pm. Then it’s time to clean up and be ready to pack up at the end of the event when guests are leaving. Please be sure to check and double check for all the items you brought with you. We can’t be responsible for items left behind.
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