News Releases

Carmel, CA, February 16 – 19, 2006– Highlands Inn, Park Hyatt Carmel announces a last minute addition to the stellar line up of chefs at the 20^th Anniversary of the Masters of Food & Wine. Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay, host of Hell’s Kitchen will be featured in Sunday’s cooking demonstration at the 20th Annual Masters of Food & Wine on February 19, 2006. Ramsay, one of Britain’s most famous chefs, is one of only three chefs in the UK to maintain Three Michelin stars for their restaurant. His long history of notoriety in the restaurant industry has earned Michelin Stars at many of his restaurants, won him Chef of the Year award at Catey’s and was voted the Top Restaurant in UK with a score of 28 in the 2001 London Zagat survey. He was appointed OBE in the 2006 honours list "for services to the hospitality industry".

Hell’s Kitchen, Fox Television’s latest hit reality series, is a culinary boot camp that features a group of aspiring restaurateurs overseen by world-renowned but terrifying chef Gordon Ramsay.

Robert Weakley, Executive Assistant Manager, Food & Beverage Director of the Highlands Inn, Park Hyatt Carmel noted this highlight of the 20^th Anniversary of the Masters of Food & Wine was an event surely not to be missed. With the event just a few days away, Weakley has released a small amount of tickets to those who can grab them before the event sells out.

If you do happen to miss his masterly cooking demonstration, not to worry as Chef Gordon Ramsay will also be featured at the Master’s of Food & Wine final event, Chefs Tables, which takes place on Sunday, February 19th at Noon. There, he will be preparing his signature dishes along side 12 other chefs that include David Kinch from Manresa, William Bradley from Vu, Emily Luchetti from Farallon, James Wierzelewski from Hotel Victor, Cal Stamenov from Bernardus and more.

The Masters of Food & Wine, an annual held at the Highlands Inn, Park Hyatt Carmel, located along the magnificent coastline of Carmel, California is internationally recognized as one of the most spectacular gatherings of celebrated chefs and winemakers. The four-day event features rare vertical wine tastings, unique culinary demonstrations by acclaimed chefs, and extravagant gala luncheons and dinners.

Past participants have included: Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Charlie Trotter, Jean-Louis Palladin, Rocco DiSpirito, Diana Kennedy, Gray Kunz, Marcella Hazan, Roger Verge, Alice Waters, Thomas Keller, Paul Bocuse, Emeril Lagasse, Chateau d’Yquem’s Comte Alexandre de Lur-Saluces, Champagne Duetz, Peter Michael Winery, Château Haut­Brion, Quinta do Noval, Richard Grace of Grace Family Vineyard, Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Frederic Engerer of Château Latour, and Angelo Gaja of Gaja Winery.

Highlands Inn, Park Hyatt Carmel’s Executive Assistant Manager, Food & Beverage Director, Robert Weakley, Executive Chef, Mark Ayers, and General Manager, Norbert Relecker, will orchestrate this gathering of acclaimed masters. Together, they will coordinate menus, wine tastings, and oversee the wine pairings and food service for all the luncheons and dinners.

The Highlands Inn, Park Hyatt Carmel, at the gateway to California’s Big Sur, offers one of the most celebrated restaurants in the country: Pacific’s Edge. Pacific’s Edge has been recognized among the “Top 20 Restaurants in the United States” by Wine Spectator and earned the magazine’s “Reader’s Choice Award” for best food and wine and its “Grand Award” for a wine list featuring over 1,500 selections of the best in Burgundy, Bordeaux, German, and California cult wines.

Park Hyatt is Hyatt Hotels Corporation’s premium luxury brand, catering to business and leisure travelers who demand the finest in personalized service and accommodations. Fewer than twenty hotels worldwide bear the elite Park Hyatt name, with nine of those in North America. Each hotel is characterized by a distinguished sense of place, incomparable design and architecture, beautifully appointed guestrooms and suites, superior amenities and facilities, award-winning cuisine, and superior personalized service.

For reservations and inquiries about tickets still available for the 20th Annual Masters of Food & Wine, please call (800) 401-1009 or visit us at www.mfandw.com.