WHAT:
For the fourth year in a row, Beyond Hunger is hosting the Healthy Chef Challenge, a cooking competition featuring award-winning Chicago area chefs and celebrity judges, to support hunger relief efforts in Chicago’s near West Side communities. Each participant gets 45 minutes and a set of ingredients typically found in Beyond Hunger’s food pantry—like peanut butter and canned yams. With the addition of a mystery ingredient, chefs compete to cook the healthiest, most delicious entree. The winner will be determined by our panel and will be crowned this year’s Healthy Chef Champion!

Attendees will enjoy live cooking demos from our Health Ambassadors and the opportunity to participate in our silent auction. They can also join our raffle to win a tasting seat at our judges’ table.

CHEFS:
Rafat Alzein is the Executive Chef of the University Club of Chicago. He played a key role in the transformation of the Club’s food and beverage program. Prior to joining the University Club, he was the Executive Sous Chef at The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago for six years. He is a graduate of Kendall College’s culinary program with a degree in Culinary Arts. He is constantly inspired by the Club’s motivated food and beverage team and enjoys taking on new challenges, including crafting menus and executing special member events.

Nathan Cheatham, Oak Park native and personal chef, began his journey in the dynamic world of pop-up dining. His dedication led him to Terzo Piano at the Art Institue of Chicago, where he crafted desserts for two years before venturing into savory cuisine at Beatnik. Now, he pours his heart and soul into being a full-time personal chef, while also delighting guests at private dinners. In his role as a private chef, Nathan has crafted culinary delights for clientele such as Jamie Foxx, Khalid, ODESZA, and Fred Again.

Sammy Demichael, owner and chef of Flock & Forage, started her culinary career in sushi, then worked with a small farm in Michigan for 8 years collaborating other farmers, which ignited her passion for finding ways to cook with only local, fresh ingredients from our region. She opened Flock & Forage in March 2023 to highlight the best local meat and produce each season has to offer at Green City Market.

JUDGES:
Dion Dawson is a food-fighting social entrepreneur, philanthropic leader, and founder of Dion’s Chicago Dream, a nonprofit organization that combats food insecurity through logistics and last-mile delivery. His system, which provides a week’s worth of fresh produce to the doorsteps of food insecure recipients, has surpassed millions of pounds of fresh produce provided annually to the food system. His philanthropic achievements include being named an Echoing Green Fellow (2023), Aspen Institute Food Leaders Fellow (2023), and University of Chicago Civic Leadership Academy Fellow (2023).

Phil Vettel is an acclaimed journalist who wrote for the Chicago Tribune for 41 years, with 31 years dedicated to being a restaurant critic. He served on the James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards committee for 11 years. His work raised Chicago’s profile as a premier culinary destination, and in January he received the Jean Banchet Award for Culinary Excellence of the Year, the highest honor for his contributions to Chicago’s restaurant scene.

Darien Marion-Burton is the Executive Director of the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce and is a true dynamo with a passion for community development. In 2018, driven by an entrepreneurial spirit that couldn’t be contained, Darien established his own venture, D.M. Burton. His dedication to excellence and innovation quickly made his brand synonymous with success. With his diverse experiences and unwavering commitment to community, Darien is set to lead the OPRF Chamber to new heights.

WHEN:
Thursday, May 30
7pm

WHERE:
Goose Island Barrel House
603 N Sacramento Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60612

WHAT WE CAN OFFER:
- Meet and greet with renowned chefs
- Interview with Michele Zurakowski, Beyond Hunger Executive Director and hunger-relief advocate
- Hi-res images of chefs in competition from previous years or current

TICKETS:
For tickets and details visit Beyond Hunger’s website:
https://www.gobeyondhunger.org/events/healthy-chef-challenge-2024

WHY:
This one-of-a-kind event features award-winning chefs, challenging them to use every day, low-cost ingredients to make the best tasting healthiest dish and win.

CONTACT:
For more information, or to attend the Healthy Chef Challenge please contact:

Teri Miller, Director of Development
[email protected]
708-613-4200

or

Lauren Brightmore, Events Coordinator
[email protected]
708-386-1324 ext. 1102