Safeway Searches For Next Private Chef

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February 21, 2012

In reality-TV fashion, Safeway is hosting a competition to find its next full-time company chef and recipe for an Open Nature store brand skillet meal.

Chefs from across the nation will compete for a job with Safeway Culinary Kitchens and have their recipe included in the Open Nature Skillet Meal line sold in Safeway stores. Executive Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, who appears on Food Network's "Chopped" and "Iron Chef," is part of the judging panel of Safeway chefs and executives to select the winning chef who will join the culinary team.

The competition kicked off with an announcement on Facebook on Feb.16 and call for submissions. There will be a national "people's choice" vote in mid-April; regional cook-offs during the end of April; and the final cook-off at the Safeway Culinary Kitchens on May 15. Safeway’s Facebook fans and candidates can follow the process there and on Twitter.

Finalists will receive prizes for their hard work and participation, with second place winning $2,000 and third place winning $1,000. Safeway’s Culinary Kitchens is a 4,000-square-foot food development workspace and includes a kitchen set-up similar to what shoppers have at home.

"We are the first to host a major competition where a talented chef has the opportunity to win a new job and develop a product that will be on the shelf in a major national grocery store," said Joe Ennen, senior vice president of consumer brands at Safeway. "We are excited to find a well-rounded food expert who has a passion for innovation and is able to execute the highest level of recipe and product development to join our team."

Safeway launched the Open Nature line in January, beginning with the meat category and since then expanding it to bakery, dairy, deli, frozen and grocery. All products are 100 percent natural -- defined as raised without antibiotics, have no added hormones, are fed an all-vegetarian diet and contain no artificial preservatives or artificial ingredients. Safeway has supported the private label launch with a variety of community and social network-based promotions.

Chef contestants must create recipes in keeping with the Open Nature store brand’s protocol of using 100 percent natural ingredients and demonstrate a passion for innovation. The recipes must be made with 100 percent natural ingredients and with the at-home cook in mind.

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