Press Release Hilton Vancouver Metrotown’s Executive Chef Wins Popular Chopped Canada Television Series Competition in Season Three’s Finale Burnaby, BC – April 29, 2016 – The Hilton Vancouver Metrotown announces that its Executive Sous Chef, Dennis Peckham, has taken top prize in Food Network Canada’s Chopped Canada television show, in the Season 3 episode “Win by a Hare”. Chopped Canada is the network’s Canadian edition of the popular Food Network U.S. series, Chopped. The show aired Saturday April 2nd, 2016 at 6 p.m. and is viewable online at www.foodnetwork.ca. British Columbia-born Chef Peckham has more than 15 years of experience in the industry, from French cuisine in California to West Coast flavour restaurants in Canada. He is a graduate of Dubrulle International Culinary Arts Vancouver. Peckham said, “I decided to audition for Chopped Canada in part because my former wife was a winner last season – so I had extra motivation to win. The chefs I competed against made this a tough competition.” Chef Peckham competed against three Executive Chefs from as far as St. John’s, Newfoundland, Montreal, Quebec and Toronto, Ontario; The four chefs, created a three-course unforgettable meal with the mystery ingredients before time ran out. After each course, a Chef was “chopped” from the competition by a panel of distinguished judges. The three judges were celebrity Chef Michael Smith, author and host of Chef Michael’s Kitchen, Chef Susur Lee, owner of Lee, Bent, Luckee, Lee Kitchen, and Fring’s in Toronto, Ontario and Chef Mark McEwan former Executive Chef at Toronto’s upscale Sutton Place Hotel, author of Great Food at Home, and is currently the head judge on “Top Chef Canada”. The show started off with all the chefs creating an appetizer from the “Mystery Basket” that included animal crackers, jackfruit, wasabi powder, and beef gyro meat. Chef Dennis survived this round using Wasabi crusted Seared Scallops with Jackfruit Purée. The entrée “Mystery Basket” included watermelon lollipop, hare, sage, and baby bok choy. Chef Dennis won the entrée round by a hare and was awarded the highest compliment ever in Chopped Canada history. And for the final round, the two finalists, Chef Dennis and Chef Olivier Vigneault were asked to present their own interpretation of dessert using mochi, frozen vanilla yogurt, peanut brittle, and pear vinegar. “I really thought I had lost the competition when I completed my dessert round!” The bread pudding with frozen vanilla yogurt was “not attractive” as commented by Chef Susur Lee. “You are not just a Chopped Canada Champion; in my view, you have pulled off one of the single most technical masterpieces we have ever seen in this kitchen,” said Chef Michael Smith during the competition. “We are so proud of Chef Dennis and his win on Chopped Canada. We are fortunate to have team members, like Dennis, who shares his passion and creativity every day,” said Ed Jaskula, general manager with the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown who also serves as Director of the Burnaby Board of Trade, the Michael J. Fox Theatre, and Tourism Burnaby. Experience a taste of Chef Dennis Peckham’s creation at Reflect Social Dining + Lounge at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown. The hotel is located at 6083 McKay Avenue. For more information, visit www.vancouvermetrotown.hilton.com. .