
It’s A Wrap: Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium Cooking Competition 2014!
Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium (AKS) is a celebration of Toronto’s vibrant food culture that brings together the city’s hottest restaurant chefs in a weekend long cooking competition.
Throughout the three day event, 8 top Toronto chefs from DaiLo, Home of the Brave, Hudson Kitchen, Parts & Labour, Porzia, Splendido, The Good Son, and Throughbred showcased their talent at The Delicious Food Show cooking competition through offering two food items for $5 each in the Abbey’s Kitchen pavilion. Guests were welcomed to purchase as many of the offerings as they would like to sample before voting on their favourite dish.
The top chefs that won the fan votes included Jonathon Hamilton, Nathan Middleton, Robbie Hojilla, Vittorio Colacitti and Ariel Coplan. They competed live in an action-packed cooking competition on stage before a panel of celebrity judges such as Roger Mooking, James Cunningham, Kevin Brauch, Brad Smith, Leslie Merklinger and Robert McCullough from Random House Canada. The chef that came out on top was Hudson Kitchen’s Robbie Hojilla and he went home with the grand prize of sponsored goodies and a year’s worth of bragging rights as the champion of Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium.
Special thanks to the sponsors of Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium Pavilion:
Top Shelf Sponsors: Canola Growers, Fresita Canada, Mussel Industry Council, Samuel Adams, Strauss Water Canada and Vitamix
Pantry Sponsors: Barry Callebaut, Italpasta, Lagostina and Sharwoods
Relive the cooking competition and check out our gallery!
- Robbie Hojilla from Hudson Kitchen
- Ariel Coplan and his team from Thoroughbred Food & Drink
- PEI Mussel Po Boy from Thoroughbred Food & Drink
- Basilio Pesce from Porzia
- Cheesecake from The Good Son
- Nick Liu from DaiLo
- Sesame Balls from DaiLo
- Abbey Sharp drinking a bottle of Samuel Adams Octoberfest
- Jonathon Hamilton and Nathan Middleton from Home of the Brave
- Chocolate S’more Ice Cream Sandwich from Home of the Brave
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart from Splendido
- Matty Matheson and his team from Parts & Labour
- PEI Mussels Escabeche with Confit Chicken Hearts and Salsa Verde and Molasses Break Pudding, Crème Fraiche and Samuel Adams Boston Lager Butter Scotch Sauce from Parts & Labour
- Abbey Sharp sipping on Fresita
- Ariel Coplan, Vittorio Colacitti, Robbie Hojilla, Jonathon Hamilton and Nathan Middleton make it to Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium finale
- Celebrity judges, Kevin Brauch, Brad Smith, James Cunningham, cheers with their Boston Lager
- Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cajun Wings Pickled Chilies with Louisiana Hot Sauce from Home of the Brave
- Thai Curry Marinated Pork Belly, Cashew Coconut Milk Crepe, Pickled Vegetables from Hudson Kitchen
- Leslie Merklinger cleans up her plate
- Robert McCullough and Roger Mooking sipping on Boston Lager
- PEI Mussel Po Boy from Thoroughbred Food & Drink
- Vittorio Colacitti making his Pasta e Fagioli
- Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium finalists
- Congratulations to Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium winner, Robbie Hojilla from Hudson Kitchen!
Photo credit Mauricio Calero courtesy of Samuel Adams