Bringing the chef out front

A new program at Highmark, in Pittsburgh, is bringing the chef to the table. Through weekly Chef’s Table demonstrations, Highmark employees and guests are invited to be the G.U.E.S.T. of Cameron Clegg, executive chef with Parkhurst Dining at Highmark. The sessions allow Clegg to personally interact with guests to answer questions, field comments and feedback, and introduce them to new menu items while sharing tools and information to prepare healthier dishes at home. The program is “taking away the middleman,” according to Clegg, who is eager to “get out of his comfort zone back of house” and communicate directly with guests while learning from them as well.

The program has five specific goals, incorporated in the acronym G.U.E.S.T.:

Healthy items are prepared during the weekly sessions and are focused on a central theme, such as spices, or around global events, like the Olympics. Samples and recipes of the demoed items are available for guests, and larger portions are available as an add-on to meals. “We want to get guests more excited and increase guest participation,” says Lenny DeMartino, general manager for Parkhurst at Highmark. “And it’s a nice way to increase check average.”