• MCB CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.
The base’s 31 Area Mess Hall was the main site as Marine Corps Installations West (MCIWEST) Base Food Services hosted the Culinary Team of the Quarter (CTOQ) competition on May 6–7.
This two-day event showcased the talent, precision, and creativity of West Coast Foodservice Marines and Sodexo garrison cooks from across the region.
Open to E-1 to E-5 foodservice Marines, as well as civilian food service professionals employed by Sodexo, the competition was designed to strengthen unit morale, promote teamwork, sharpen culinary skills, enhance military occupational specialty (MOS) proficiency, and recognize excellence in military food service.
“The CTOQ is more than just a cooking competition,” said Warrant Officer Edwin Chavez, deputy director and operations officer for Base Food Services. “It’s a chance to celebrate the professionalism of our foodservice Marines and prepare them for greater opportunities.”
THE COMPETITION
On day one, competitors put their knowledge to the test in a “Jeopardy”-style quiz, narrowing the field down to four teams.
On day two, the finalists drew from a “Mystery Basket” of ingredients to plan, prepare, and serve an original meal to a panel of guest judges composed of senior leadership from across the command, including Brig. Gen. Nick I. Brown, the commanding general of MCIWEST, MCB Camp Pendleton.
The event continued a tradition of excellence, offering participants valuable experience in competitive and creative food preparation under pressure.
ALL WINNERS
Luis Murrieta and Brenda Sandoval, the Sodexo chief cooks at MCAS Miramar, Calif., earned first-place honors, but all participants walked away with sharpened culinary skills and a renewed sense of pride in the foodservice community.
“Even though we came up short this time, the experience brought us closer as a team and pushed us to grow,” said Cpl. Sabrina Locke, a foodservice specialist with 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. “Competitions like this remind us why we take pride in our craft.”
Source: MCB Camp Pendleton, Calif., Public Affairs via DVIDS
Edited by Larry Lapka
