Chef Works impresses at the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival

(From left) executives Alan Wong (co-chair), Denise Yamaguchi (CEO) and Roy Yamaguchi (co-chair) toast the Eighth Annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.

For the eighth-straight year, the Chef Works team was on the ground at the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, serving as the official culinary and hospitality sponsor and enjoying one of the most beautiful venues on the food and wine circuit.

Chef Works donated hundreds of garments, including custom-made chef coats that featured a limited-edition Hawaiian print by aloha wear brand Reyn Spooner.

“The chefs were ecstatic about their coats,” said Mai Cao, the corporate social media communications manager for Chef Works who attended. “We all loved the custom design and many were enamored with the Chef Works aprons we were handing out on site. Special thanks go out to Denise and Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong, Aya Leslie, Rya Sekimoto and Trent Asato for their hospitality and once again inviting us to take part in such an amazing event.”

The event was a who’s who of culinary giants – ranging from Iron Chefs and James Beard winners to some of the world’s most innovative winemakers and mixologists.

“It has been great working with Chef Works since the festival started in 2011,” said HFWF CEO Denise Yamaguchi. “They keep our chefs looking good in custom-made chef coats using a Reyn Spooner Hawaiian Print, along with hats, polo shirts and aprons. Their donation of all this culinary apparel allows the festival to maximize its annual giving to agriculture and culinary education programs.”

The event grows bigger and bigger each year and there are simply too many highlights from the nearly-month-long celebration to pinpoint favorites.


The chefs are looking good in their limited-edition Morocco Chef Coats with Reyn Spooner print. (Photo Credit HWFW).

But among them was Chef Antonio Tommasi emerging as Crop King, singer-songwriter Kimié Miner wowing the crowd at the Decadence event at Ko Olina Resort and the “Winederland” event at the Hawaii Convention Center.

“For us, these events are more than just connecting with old friends and making new ones,” said Amanda Stuckey, vice president of marketing for Chef Works. “We absolutely get to enjoy the beauty of the islands and the majesty of the event. But we also get to talk to the chefs in the field who use our products. We’re constantly taking their feedback and pouring it into our products to make the best culinary apparel anywhere.”

More than 10,000 people attended the 20-plus events while also raising money for several non-profit beneficiaries. Since its launch eight years ago, HFWF has raised more than $2 million for community organizations that support sustainability, culinary programs and agriculture.

“We knew this event had amazing potential when it started eight years ago and seeing it grow into one of the year’s must-attend food and wine festivals each year has been amazing,” Stuckey said. “We’re thrilled to continue being the official culinary apparel and hospitality sponsor and look forward to many more years of this successful partnership.”

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