First-ever season-long competition made its debut during the GreenMarket’s 29th Season
WEST PALM BEACH, FL (April 30, 2023) — West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James presented an award to Chef Manfred Schmidtke on behalf of Chef and owner of Palm Beach Catering, Joey Leuze, as the winner of the first-ever West Palm Beach GreenMarket Master Chef Showcase. The presentation happened during the City Commission Meeting on Monday, April 29, 2024. Chef Eddie Zapil, from Fern Street Wine Bar & Kitchen, competed against Leuze on Saturday, April 6, 2024. As the silver medal winner, he was also on-site to receive recognition for his skills. Leuze had to travel unexpectedly and was unable to attend.
The bracket-style competition was a new addition to the GreenMarket’s 2023-24 Season, with competitors consisting of local chefs and GreenMarket vendors, both current and past vendors. The competition began on the Market’s Opening Day on October 7, 2023, and was held the first Saturday of every month throughout the season. Chef Leuze’s preparation of duck in six unique ways for the final round delighted the judge’s taste buds, leading to a winning title.
“This competition was an incredible opportunity to highlight and support the chefs behind our GreenMarket vendors and local restaurants,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James. “We are grateful to our community events team for introducing this fun competition to the Market this season, our competitors for their participation, and marketgoers for cheering on their favorite chefs each month.”
Before coming to West Palm Beach in 2008, Chef Leuze got his start cooking at his mom’s French restaurant in Germany. He later worked as a chef on luxury yachts in the French Riviera. His cuisine is focused on fresh ingredients from local farms and is heavily inspired by his European background. As a previous GreenMarket vendor, Chef Leuze continues to source many of his ingredients from the GreenMarket, which are then enjoyed by attendees at Palm Beach-based galas and events.
“The first-ever, season-long Master Chef Showcase brought extra excitement to the Market this year,” said Mary Pinak, Community Events Manager for the City of West Palm Beach. “The event created an incredible sense of community among the chefs and fans who witnessed their culinary geniuses at work. We are thinking of ways to bring back an enhanced Master Chef Showcase next year.”
Before the finale, each Showcase round featured winning chefs from past rounds, challenging their skills across different cuisines to prepare a pre-selected protein choice — chicken, pork, beef, or fish — which was unbeknownst to the chefs until the day of the competition. For the finals, Chef Joey and Chef Eddie had free reign to prepare their dish of choice. Competitors chopped, sautéed, and served their dishes to a panel of judges comprised of community leaders. Judges picked the winning dish based on presentation, flavor, and originality, advancing the winning chefs to the Showcase finals.
For more information about the West Palm Beach GreenMarket, visit www.wpb.org/events, call (561) 822-1515 (TTY: 800-955-8771), or follow the City of West Palm Beach on Facebook @CityofWPB and on Twitter and Instagram @thecityofwpb. To keep up with the City’s event news, follow @eventswpb on Instagram and Facebook.
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Sponsors for the 2023 – 2024 GreenMarket season included: Joe DiMaggio Children’s Health Specialty Center, Land Rover Palm Beach, Paradise Exteriors, NextHome Real Estate Executives, Humana, Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, Nordic Tree Water, NW Mutual – McKernan Financial Group, WPB Magazine, West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, WPB Food Tours, The Palm Beach Post, SUNNY 107.9, New Country 103.1 and WPBF 25 News.
About the City of West Palm Beach:
The City of West Palm Beach is a vibrant and dynamic City located on the Atlantic coast of Florida. With a rich history, a thriving arts and cultural scene, and a commitment to sustainability, the City of West Palm Beach is a great place to live, work, and play. As one of the three largest cities making up the South Florida region, and the central City of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach is a vibrant, growing, waterfront City that seamlessly blends the business advantages available in the region with a more refined and relaxed environment for living and working, making it an exceptional destination for both residents and professionals alike. To learn more about the City of West Palm Beach, visit us on our official website, or follow us on our social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and/or Linked-in. To stay up-to-date on the City’s community events, please visit the events pages on Facebook and Instagram.