Seafood Symposium Shows Chefs How to create Sustainable Dishes

More than 100 culinary professionals, students, and representatives of related culinary industries gathered at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science for the 30th  Chef’s Seafood Symposium. The symposium is an annual education program that provides information on the latest seafood science, fisheries news, seafood cooking techniques and a live cooking demonstration.

“I think it’s really great to get young culinarians out to understand the environmental impact of the world right around us int he local area. Bringing attention to products that we should be utilizing in the real world and in our restaurants in order to maintain the sustainability of the bay is very important,” said Juli Gutierrez, Chef de Cuisine at the Williamsburg Inn.

This year’s cooking demonstration featured Blue Catfish, am nonnative species that was introduced to rivers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed decades ago. Initially thought to live only in fresh water, they can tolerate some brackish water. This has allowed them to move into a number of  areas in throughout the Chesapeake posing a hazard to many native species which they eat.

“I think events like these are a lot of help, especially with people like us who are just starting in the industry,” said Alex Arnold, a Chef Apprentice with Colonial Williamsburg who participated in the live cooking demonstration.