Annual Event Supports All Faiths Food Bank End Summer Hunger Campaign
S-One Holdings Corporation celebrated its second annual Grill-Off competition at its global headquarters in Sarasota. Local team members got the opportunity to display their talents on their grills and smokers while being judged by professional chefs. Cuisine featured brats, brisket, burgers, choripán, ham, lamb, pizza, pork, ribs, tri-tip, wings, and more.
S-One team members who competed in the 2024 Grill-Off are pictured from left to right: Joe Francies, Matt Bailey, Richard Burke, Roxanne Benton, Dan Barberio, Vince Bejar, and Heather Reece. Not pictured: CJ Forker
As part of the annual employee engagement event, team members enjoyed the array of cuisine and were able to vote for their fan favorites as part of the judging process.
Judges included the following:
Michael “Gibby” Gibson
Gibson is a former competitor in the International Barbeque Cookers Association and winner of several awards including Overall Champion, Best Brisket, Best Chicken, and People’s Choice. He left the BBQ circuit to pursue a career opportunity in large-format printing. Gibson still enjoys mastering culinary techniques such as barbacoa, paella, and buttermilk biscuits during his free time.
Chef Jason Pellet
Pellet serves as the Executive Chef of Bar Italia in Lakewood Ranch and Chef/Owner of ZaraZota. He is passionate about Italian food and using the best and freshest ingredients. His former positions include being the Executive Chef of Zota Beach Resort and Brio Tuscan Grille.
Chef Alyson Zildjian
Zildjian is celebrating 14 years in business in Sarasota and is the innovative force behind Zildjian Catering and Consulting. Chef Zildjian is a committed leader in green business practices, and her dedication to sustainability extends beyond the kitchen with teaching and educating the community on the benefits of sourcing locally. This dedication led her company to win the Sustany Foundation’s Sustainable Business Award in 2019 and 2023.
Supporting the community is engrained in S-One's culture. Team members were asked to bring non-perishable food items to the event as a donation to longtime community partner, All-Faiths Food Bank, to help support its End Summer Hunger Campaign. When school ends, hunger begins for more than 40,000 children in our area.
"Employee engagement is not just about bringing our team members together to have fun and spend time in a non-work environment," stated Art Lambert, S-One Co-Founder. "It's about acknowledging our responsibility to give back to the community and helping our neighbors in need. That's who we are."
