On August 6th, two San Diego executive chefs battled it out on the ‘Epic Burger’ episode of Food Network’s Chopped. Chef Colton Lemmer of Union Kitchen & Tap Gaslamp and Chef Kevin Templeton of barleymash represented America’s Finest City when they whipped up creative appetizers, entrees and desserts with a burger-themed twist. Our clients both made it to the final round with Chef Kevin taking home the winning title, along with $10,000!

Our agency saw them through from start to finish, from filling out the preliminary application for them to appear on the show, to throwing viewing parties at each of their restaurants. The entire process took about four months; we saw them through endless paperwork, Skype interviews, on-camera interviews at their restaurants and finally communicating with them during filming in New York City. The process was tiring and long. Creating an hour-long episode takes two full days of filming and a lot of editing. What a ride for both of these talented chefs! Chef Colton said it was an unforgettable experience, and that he was happy to go toe-to-toe with his neighbor and good friend, Chef Kevin, while representing San Diego’s epic culinary scene.

“The competition was neck-and-neck against a group of extremely talented chefs,” said Chef Kevin. “It takes years off your life but totally worth it.” What will he do with his prize money? He would love to invest it in a local farm to grow beautiful crops and produce for his restaurants. What a guy!

With knowledge that Chef Kevin took home the winning title, we invited media to attend the viewing party at barleymash once the show aired. The media table was filled with delicious dishes including flatbreads, lobster mac ‘n cheese, wings and barley fires. Cocktails were flowing and the energy was high. Members of San Diego’s broadcast, radio, print and online media along with family and friends were all able to raise a glass and toast Chef Kevin after his speech.

Following the viewing party, our PR team secured a TV segment with CBS 8 for Chef Kevin and Chef Colton to recreate the episode by making two burgers on-air with surprise ingredients, including a bag of Doritos. That was one tasty segment! We couldn’t be prouder of these two guys and are looking forward to pursuing additional national TV opportunities for all the chefs we work with!