Zach Laidlaw
August 15 & 16 at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
Zach Laidlaw, an internationally accomplished culinary mavin, was raised in the small town of Burlington, Illinois. He started in the industry as a dishwasher at the young age of 13. At age 16 he started cooking and quickly soon realized his passion and creativity would be endless in this profession. With a degree in both Culinary Arts & Hospitality Restaurant Management, Zach quickly stood out with his culinary talent taking him all around the world cooking and managing. From Chicago to South Beach Miami, followed by the British Virgin Islands, onto Australia and then here in Maui. Maui is where he landed the Chef de Cuisine position at Fleetwood’s on Front St. for two years. In 2017 he helped start up Hua Momona Farms, in Kapalua from scratch with 2 other partners. January 2019, Zach took a step out of the busy kitchen life and to focus all his attention on the Farm. He wanted to further educate himself with local agriculture, understanding the why’s and how’s of growing and maintaining self-sustainability. Zach supports our local farmers, Fisherman, Ranchers and is helping Maui become more self-sustainable one step at a time. Currently, Chef Zach is Hua Momona Farms Executive Chef & Vice President of Experiences. He curates exquisite multi-course farm to table experiences ranging anywhere from 5-12 course tasting menus. Both a Chef & a Farmer, what a force to be recon with. Catch Chef Zach on Next Level Chef season 3 with Gordon Ramsey. Every Thursday at 7pm Hawaii Time on FOX or next day on HULU.
Gabrielle Chappel
August 15 & 16 at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
Gabrielle (Gabi) is a seasonally inspired chef and educator currently based in Los Angeles, CA. She is a graduate from the Institute of Culinary Education's Health Supportive Culinary Arts program and focuses on plant based cooking. Gabi is the Season 3 Winner of Fox's Next Level Chef and hosts pop up dinners, educational classes, and private events throughout Los Angeles. Prior to Next Level Chef, Gabi became a “social media chef” through her guest appearances on Conde Nast’s Epicurious YouTube Channel where she became a staple of "4 Levels" and "Pro vs. Novice" amassing millions of views with each video. Gabi grew up in an agricultural town in Central Pennsylvania, she takes a lot of inspiration from the natural unfolding of the seasons within her dishes, and on occasion her Eastern European background through the way she grew up making food with her family. She loves frequenting LAs incredible farmers markets, walking to the beach and hiking.
Ryan Von Smith
August 15 & 16 at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
Chef Ryan Von Smith, better known as Chef Von, is a Scranton original with a rockstar culinary journey. Self-taught, he’s refined his craft in world-class kitchens across NYC, LA, Las Vegas, and Asia, serving everyone from A-listers to everyday diners. His impressive accolades include a third-place win at the World Master Chefs Competition in China, a memorable appearance on Gordon Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef,” and most recently, securing the 2024 World Food Championships title in the Rice category. Yet, through all his global adventures, his hometown of Scranton has always called him back. During the pandemic, Chef Von returned to his roots, igniting a popular pop-up from his mom’s kitchen. This passion project, fueled by community love and his mom's dream, quickly evolved into Chef Von & Mom, a vibrant Scranton establishment since March 2022, celebrated for its bold flavors and welcoming atmosphere. He’s a chef with grit, heart, and a captivating story for every plate.
Charles Andres
August 15 & 16 at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
Chef Charles Andres was born in the Philippines and moved to Maui, Hawaii at the age 13. In June 1995, his restaurant journey as a dishwasher began at Rusty Harpoon in Kaanapali Whalers Village. Since then, he has worked his way up in the culinary industry and has been intrigued in creating Filipino fusion dishes as observed in the kitchen of his family home. He enjoyed seeing everyone cooking together and seeing the bond between his family members got him curious and discovered his passion for cooking. After graduating High School, Charles honed his skills in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino, where he remained driven in pursuing a culinary career. In 2001, Charles returned to Maui, Hawaii where he launched a career at Roy’s Restaurants that spanned 12 years and in several cities such as: Kahana, Maui, HI; La Jolla, CA; Phoenix, AZ; and Rancho Mirage, CA, Charles learned how to mesh French techniques with Asian ingredients and gained tremendous amount of experience in creating dishes that customers truly enjoy. Also accomplished Chef Partner of the year twice from 2010-2011 and President Club in 2012 all with Roy’s Rancho Mirage, CA. Chef Andres owned a restaurant, Ocean Pacific Grille, located in Downtown San Diego which was also featured in Plate Magazine Chicago in April 2016. Chef Charles Andres returned to Maui in 2016 as the Executive Chef at Humble Market Kitchen in the Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott, where he and his team create amazing dishes combining Asian and fresh local ingredients with bold flavors. In 2019 Chef Andres Joined the Marriott Family where he Obtain as Executive Sous chef for 4years then he Joined the Sheraton Maui Ohana in February 2024 as Executive Chef. Early this year chef Charles Re-Joined Wailea Beach Resort as the Executive Chef
Frank Orrall aka Chef Franc
August 15 & 16 at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
Raised in Honolulu, and now living in Sonoma CA., Frank Orrall (AKA Chef Franc) is the singer, founder and band leader of Poi Dog Pondering, as well as the percussionist & vocalist for Thievery Corporation Live. Frank has been cooking professionally for 20 years, and is releasing his debut cookbook "Cooking With The Dandy", this August. This book is a curation of some of his favorite dishes from his travels around the world with Thievery Corporation, and Poi Dog Pondering, as well as the island soul food dishes that he cherishes from his homeland of Hawai’i. A confluence of French, Spanish, Moroccan, and Hawaiian / Asian Pacific flavors.
Hannah Stanchfield
August 15 & 16 at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
Hannah Stanchfield is an accomplished pastry chef living on the beautiful island of Maui. Her interest in pastry and baking started as a hobby making cupcakes to keep her out of trouble or simply whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies on a rainy day. This infatuation with all things sweet quickly developed into a strong desire for pastry arts as a career. She has an Applied Associates Degree in Pastry and Culinary Arts from the University of Hawaii Maui College, which holds top ranking for one of the best culinary arts programs in the nation. Hannah’s love for the hospitality industry spans as wide as her experience in the many fields offered. These titles have included pastry chef, server, bartender, pizzaiolo, sous chef, business owner, and she wouldn’t be who she was without the humble start as a dishwasher in a small cafe in Paia. Her current calling is back where her spark was first ignited, UH Maui Culinary Arts, now as an instructor and head of the baking department. When she isn’t molding the minds of future chefs, you can find her hanging with her dachshund dog at the beach, creating new pastries or desserts, or at Hua Momona Farms helping out with events and enjoying the amazing venue and crew to work with!