A favorite event among many Wedgewood Weddings team members is the Culinary Clash competition where professional kitchen teams show off their skills. In August 2021, the tasty battle returned, pairing restaurant teams with teen sous chefs to create a uniquely fantastic sandwich. The challenge presented was to incorporate ingredients like Coca-Cola, where the cocktail competition was only for the restaurant teams and included novel creations using Tito's.
The California Restaurant Foundation hosts the Culinary Clash each year to help empower more than 13,500 teens with a passion for a restaurant career - whether culinary or mixologist. The highly anticipated event brings together well-known brands to compete with their unique recipe. With these competitions and other workshops, teens gain skills for work and life. Teamwork, learning how to work at speed, and being creative are all crucial restaurant skills that are helpful in every environment.
Vellano Estate by Wedgewood Weddings
We're honored to watch the eager team at Vellano Estate compete against ten other nationally recognized brands and bring home a trophy for their Mexican Candy Cocktail. Manager and Wedding Expert Marissa attended the competition with Chef George and Bartender Bel. The winning cocktail was Bel's creation that wowed guests with its resemblance to actual Mexican Candy.
Chef George crafted the Sammy Saint Burger which featured Coca-Cola as the unique ingredient. Take a look at a video of the competition heating up!
Sammy Saint Burger
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| 4 Slices Sourdough bread 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 2 Tbs Butter 1/2 Avocado 12 oz Coca-Cola 4 Slices Bacon 2 Tbs Brown sugar 1 Tbs Pepper 1 Cup Shredded celery root |
1 Tbs Lemon zest 6 oz Sprite 1/4 Cup Cabbage 1/3 Cup Shredded carrot 1/3 Lb. Wagyu Beef Burger Patty 2 Slices Swiss cheese 1/4 Cup Lettuce 2 Tbs Thousand Island Dressing |
Other national brands competing were BJ’s Restaurants, Black Bear Diner,
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Lawry’s the Prime Rib, Luna Grill, Lemonade, Lido House, Pacifica Hotels, Urban Plates, Wienerschnitzel, and Specialty Restaurants Corp... For the cocktail competition, each team incorporated Tito's Handmade Vodka.
With every sponsorship and competition, teams are working towards enriching the lives of the next generation. The Culinary Clash raises funds that benefit teens by providing enrichment services like mentorships, job training, training for teachers, and scholarships.