Jeff Leidy, Executive Chef SDCCC

Convention Center Executive Chef Jeff Leidy, letting his creative juices flow, has captured top honors for his “Cranberry Mojito” in Ocean Spray’s 2007 Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest, a nationwide competition featuring cranberry as the key ingredient.

Chef Leidy was one of four finalists who traveled to New York City in early November to compete in a live cooking competition at New York City’s De Gustibus Culinary School. The contest, which drew hundreds of entries from around the nation, was sponsored by Ocean Spray, North America’s best-selling brand name in canned and bottled juices.

 In addition to earning the title of “2007 Ultimate Cranberry Foodservice Recipe,” Leidy’s delicious Cranberry Mojito won a $25,000 cash prize. Chef Leidy donated his prize money to Becky’s House, the San Diego YWCA’s residential program for victims of domestic violence.

Chef Leidy’s “Cranberry Mojito” – a delectable blend of cranberry juice cocktail, sweetened dried cranberries, mint, lime and brown sugar - has now become the San Diego Convention Center’s signature beverage, according to Carol Wallace, president and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation.

 “Chef Leidy’s culinary expertise and creativity is among the reasons why our Center is consistently ranked as one of the top meeting facilities in the nation,” Wallace said. “Thanks to Chef and his staff, our clients are confident their attendees will be served the freshest and most innovative cuisine in the industry today.”

Chef Leidy joined Centerplate, the Convention Center’s exclusive food and beverage provider, in 2004. An honors graduate of the California Culinary Academy, he oversees a staff of 220 employees and is responsible for catering culinary events ranging in size from a half-dozen guests to over 10,000 attendees.

Chef Leidy’s outstanding talents and commitment to eco-friendly culinary practices have earned him an industry-wide reputation for altering the way people think about cuisine in the convention center setting. His passion is creating menus that use “ingredients with integrity,” including locally grown organic fruits and vegetables and regional livestock that has been raised through humane, sustainable practices with no antibiotics or growth hormones involved in the animals’ feeding and care.

“We’re very proud of Chef Leidy,” Wallace said. “Not only is he an award-winning chef, he is an exceptional individual.”