Tacoma

Tasso knew at a young age that he would fall in love with cooking, and now serves as the Executive Chef at Dirty Oscar’s Annex where he and his team are bringing a Tacoma institution back to its former glory.

Hudson Slater’s style cuisine is putting unique twists on classic dishes while using local ingredients. He has won several local cooking competitions and has been featured in the cook book A Taste Of Washington.

After 22 years of working, Nessa ‘went out to play’ as her Nana would say. She is the Head Flavor Experience Maker of Lizzie Lou’s Comfort Food Truck & Lizzie Lou’s Too – a quaint cafe inside Destination H-D.

Derek Bray is the Executive Chef and Owner of the Table in Tacoma, WA. He opened the Table in July 2015 to widespread acclaim. With over 10 years of experience in the food industry, he operates with steadfast excellence and passion as he gathers the community to dine on seasonal Northwest cuisine. Derek has collaborated with other local chefs to host benefit banquets and has raised over $100,000 area non-profits. He’s been featured in South Sound Magazine, The News Tribune, Seattle Eater, and The Volcano. Derek lives with his wife Holly, and two children in Fircrest, WA.

Bill started his career washing dishes and prepping food at Dukes while he went to art school, searching for his path in life. He realized along the way that he loved to cook, and his work at Dukes gave him the opportunity to do two things that he loves: cooking and teaching. He is now the Corporate Executive Chef at Dukes, loved the outdoors, has a wonderful family and considers himself one lucky guy.

Bridgett Seagrave is a passionate chef with matched technical ability to produce artistic plates in high-volume, fast-paced environments. Always pressing her skills forward, Bridgett seeks out opportunities to grow her knowledge and hone her craft. As an advocate for high quality, locally-sourced ingredients she has starred in instructional videos and is proud to be an ambassador for Beecher’s Cheese!

Shawn Tibbitts a Tacoma native, he has worked in a variety of restaurants, starting as a dishwasher and working his way up. He one day decided to start his own restaurant in the neighborhood he grew up in: Fern Hill. Chef Shawn works with local farmers to bring fresh ingredients to his unique dishes that he offers at his restaurant Tibbitts@Fernhill. Community is at the forefront of the recipes he creates, therefore competing in the local Beecher’s Cheese for All in Tacoma is right up his alley!

Chef Jan was meant to be a chef. Her father was a Galley Supervisor for the US  Navy. Her mother was an avid cook who prepared elaborate food for parties. Naturally, Chef Jan inherited a love for food and started cooking at the age of 10.  Cooking gives Chef Jan the capability to share the beautiful Philippine cuisine mixed with Chinese, Spanish, Malaysian, and Indian influences. She is fulfilled with being  able to tell a story and connect with people through food.

Luke has been in the foodservice industry since 1998.  He started out as a line cook, and  worked his way through the ‘ranks’ to become the chef of his own kitchen at Gig Harbor Hub in 2013.  He started at the Social in 2015, and enjoys the challenges of running a seasonal restaurant and creating new, flavorful dishes. He’s excited to be involved with the Beecher’s event alongside some other great chefs and restaurants in Tacoma.

Chef Kyle Campisi is the Executive Chef for Table 47, a locally owned farm-fresh restaurant and caterer in Gig Harbor, WA. He built his culinary career through various restaurants and venues in the region. Most recently, he spent 6.5 years as the Executive Chef of Private Dining at X-Group Restaurants, Tacoma, WA. During this time, he managed multiple restaurants simultaneously, honing his restaurant management and business skills.