(San Diego, CA) – Nov. 5, 2007 – Executive Chef Jeff Leidy, whose culinary talents are enjoyed and appreciated by hundreds of thousands of visitors annually at the San Diego Convention Center, won first place in Ocean Spray’s national competition for his “Cranberry Mojito” recipe. The competition, sponsored by North America’s best-selling brand name in canned and bottled juices, challenged Chef Leidy and three other finalists to develop the ultimate culinary creation using cranberry as the key ingredient. His winning beverage earned the title of 2007 Ultimate Cranberry Foodservice Recipe and came with a $25,000 grand prize. He is donating his cash prize to Becky’s House, San Diego’s local YWCA residential program serving women and children who are victimized by domestic violence. As executive chef for one of the country’s most successful convention centers, Leidy dedicates his culinary talents to showcasing current food trends to discerning palates from around the world. His passion is to focus on menus with regional and locally grown ingredients, which particularly appeals to event attendees who literally come from every part of the nation and all parts of the globe. This also ensures the freshest and most delectable ingredients are being served, and the use of local, sustainable products is eco-friendly. For instance, San Diego’s coastal setting makes it a natural for ocean fresh seafood and its inland valley produces an amazing variety of organic herbs, fruits and vegetables. And for beef, pork and lamb the Chef uses regional livestock that has been raised through humane, sustainable practices with no antibiotic or growth hormones involved in the animals’ feeding and care. “We’re very proud of Chef Jeff and his grand prize win. We plan to make his “Cranberry Mojito” the signature drink at the San Diego Convention Center,” said Carol Wallace, president and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation. “He’s an incredible individual, and his culinary efforts have earned him an industry-wide reputation for altering the way people think about cuisine in a convention center environment. He’s one of the reasons why the San Diego Convention Center is consistently ranked as one of the top meeting facilities in the nation,” she adds. Chef Leidy joined Centerplate, the Convention Center’s exclusive food and beverage provider, in 2004. He oversees a staff of 220 employees, and his production demands for events range in size from half a dozen to over 10,000 attendees. He graduated with honors from the California Culinary Academy and speaks fluent Spanish. Chef Leidy’s grand prize was awarded in the foodservice category which was open to everyone from notable chefs to recent culinary graduates to bartenders. The final competition against three other finalists took place on Nov. 1, 2007 in a live head-to-head cook off at New York City’s De Gustibus Culinary School. The San Diego Convention Center Corporation is a public benefit corporation created by the City of San Diego. The Corporation is exclusively responsible for marketing, managing and operating the Convention Center. In its 18-year history, the Convention Center has generated $12.8 billion in economic impact, $270.3 million in tax revenues and continues to serve as San Diego’s premier gathering place.
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