Benchmark, a global hospitality company, announced a far-reaching new partnership with internationally-acclaimed Chef Stephan Pyles that will inform every aspect of the company's food and beverage program. The comprehensive plan will bring new levels of culinary innovation to Benchmark and the 70 luxury properties under its Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and Gemstone Collection brands.
Chef, cookbook author, philanthropist and educator, Chef Stephan Pyles is said to be uniquely qualified to lead this groundbreaking new initiative. The trend-setting chef has been at the forefront of a renaissance in American cooking, pioneering New American Cuisine and celebrated as one of the founding fathers of the hugely popular Modern Southwestern Cuisine. He is a James Beard semi-finalist this year for Best New Restaurant for Flora Street Café in Dallas, one of a myriad of awards the acclaimed restaurant has garnered this year, including Best New Restaurant in Texas by Texas Monthly.
Working closely with Benchmark's chefs, home office executives, and general managers, Pyles will create and launch innovative programs in food and beverage recruitment, restaurant design concepts, culinary training, research, menu development, operations, marketing and branding. Long-term plans for the partnership include the creation of a Culinary Academy at one of Benchmark's culinary resorts.
The new partnership was designed to address the complex, challenging and constantly changing issues of the hospitality industry's food and beverage and fine dining services and to personalize the guest experience at each Benchmark property. Chef Pyles' new initiatives will create innovative, free-standing hotel restaurants that will reflect the best of regional and local ingredients and culinary styles, offering top quality dining experiences, superior design and exceptional cuisine. The new restaurants will be designed to appeal to local audiences first, providing an authentic local dining experience for guests.
Chefs and hoteliers also cited the importance of closely following new trends that will inform and impact culinary preferences in every aspect of a hotel's food and beverage product.
"The scope of this new initiative is international and must address a growing variety of consumer demands,” Pyles said. “Our guests are far more conscious of wellness, environmental issues, animal welfare and the origins of the food they consume." Chef Pyles also noted that hoteliers must meet a clear demand for quality and innovation on every level, from a corporate event to room service.
Benchmark has long been in the vanguard of culinary innovation, introducing new food and beverage concepts at its hotels and resorts, and significantly raising the bar for group dining at its conference centers. The company is a proud partner with the acclaimed James Beard Foundation in New York City.
