Last weekend, The Charlotte’s Executive Chef, Ben Smith was awarded 2nd place at The Battle of the Blades, a culinary competition hosted in Amelia Island, Florida.
The competition pitted Executive Chefs from fifteen retirement communities across the nation against one another, tasking them to create unique appetizers and entrees with special ingredients.
Chef Smith’s team placed 2nd in the competition. “The competition was fierce, but the thing that stood out most to me was the caliber of chefs that are working in these communities” said Chef Smith, “they’re taking retirement dining to a whole new level and pushing culinary boundaries.”
Here is some footage from this year’s national competition;
The Charlotte’s culinary team is continually exploring new recipes and cooking concepts, experimenting with ways to revamp classic dishes and developing new techniques both in the kitchen and on the plate. “Sitting down for a meal with family and friends is such a heartwarming time” said The Charlotte Executive Director, Ashley Parrish, “We are proud to provide an exceptional dining program where our Member and their families can connect over food and drinks. They don’t have to eat in our restaurant, but they want to when they know that Chef Smith is continually creating new dishes and putting a spin on their favorites.”