From left, Sous Chef Brandie Follett and Chef Wayne Carter of Blooms Winery and 5511 Bistro; Chef Sieb Jurriaans of Prima Bistro and Saltwater Fish House and Oyster Bar; Chef Gordon Stewart of Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill, who initiated and organized the benefit dinner; Chef Lisa Carvey of The Braeburn; and Jenn Jurriaans, co-owner of Prima Bistro and Saltwater Fish House and Oyster Bar.
The South Whidbey Schools Foundation is grateful to everyone who purchased a ticket for the March 2 “Night of Culinary Delights” Benefit Dinner.
More than $9,500 was raised to help fund classroom grants to enhance student education and experiential opportunities. Unfortunately, a little over $7,200 has yet to be received because of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown and its effect on the ticketing company the Foundation and many other nonprofits have used for such events: Brown Paper Tickets. (We have not given up hope totally of recovering the funds, but we could really use those funds this school year.)
Special thanks to Chef Gordon Stewart (Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill); Chef Sieb Jurriaans of Prima Bistro & Saltwater Fish House and Oyster Bar plus his wife and co-owner Jenn; Chef Lisa Carvey of The Braeburn; and Chef Wayne Carter of Blooms 5511 Bistro along with Sous Chef Brandie Follett, plus owner Virginia Bloom who helped the waitstaff.
Virginia Bloom of Blooms Winery and 5511 Bistro, Tyler McCormick the new manager at Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill, and waitstaff Calyna, Carrie and Michelle made sure that the sold-out dinner went smoothly.
The chefs donated their time and culinary expertise, plus all the food. Blooms Winery, Holmes Harbor Winery, and Whidbey Island Winery contributed the wines, plus Whidbey Island Distillery donated their dessert Loganberry Liqueur. Kudos as well to the waitsaff who all volunteered to serve at the event.
South Whidbey’s Conductor of Fun Jim Freeman provided his special touch of humor and conversation and interviewed the chefs about their creations.
The benefit dinner was the idea of Chef Gordon Stewart who explained how his life was personally affected by the support of the Schools Foundation in the Arlington community he grew up in. The Foundation provided grants and scholarships which enabled him to participate in culinary workshops and competitions as a high school student.
