Latest news with #Dell'Osso
Hamilton Spectator
12-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Oxford County celebrates its first-ever Master Chef
History has been made in Oxford County as Chef Philippe Coeurdassier has been officially recognized as a Master Chef. Born in France, Chef Philippe honed his culinary skills in Michelin-starred restaurants under the guidance of the legendary Chef Guy Savoy. Although he cherished his time in his home country, his adventurous spirit led him to travel the world, gaining diverse culinary insights before settling in Ontario with his family. For nearly two years, Chef Philippe has been leading the culinary team at the Elm Hurst Inn. Recognized as a Maître Cuisiniers de France - one of the highest honors in French gastronomy - Chef Philippe remains motivated by his ultimate dream - earning a place in the Michelin Guide. 'It would be a proud moment for everyone here. It is a dream of any chef from my country. We have more passion to cook and our blood is full of food. I will have to research it and work very hard.' To earn the honour, he needed two current Maître Cuisiniers de France, or 'godfathers' as he called them, to nominate him for the award. 'They needed to have worked with me in the past and give a good reference.' He lived in Scarborough for several years, but decided the city was getting too dangerous, and looked southwest for a new career and a new home. 'My wife is from this area and my brother-in-law is in London so we decided to move there and I found a job in Stratford at Mercer Hall. When I was done work, I wanted to get home as soon as possible and I did get some speeding tickets. Then I found the Elm Hurst.' Chef Philippe explained he has a great team at the Elm Hurst, something that starts with the relationship he has with the Director of Food and Beverage, Sergio Dell'Osso. 'It's a fun story. Chef and I were seamen and both worked for cruise lines so the ideas and the mentality of strong backbones and diversity as well, so helped connect on our first interactions,' said Dell'Osso. 'His knowledge of food, along with cost control and system implementation, we can see the positive results.' Dell'Osso said Chef Philippe creates a dish, then the numbers are crunched to deliver a unique dining experience and at the same time offer it at a reasonable cost. The pair have discussed adding a chef's table event down the road and have done a few spirit tastings to match a special menu. They are also researching a wine tasting experience. '(The chef's table) would be fun for me. You don't know what you eat and I don't know what I make,' quipped Chef Philippe, who added every time a new menu comes out, his goal is to grow as a restaurant. He added the Elm Hurst also prepares its own desserts. 'I teach the staff to make them. I teach them to do as much as possible.' Teaching is something Chef Philippe is required to do as a Master Chef, and it is something on his radar. 'Sometimes I see kids from schools who come to work for us and I see the school was not good for them. When they finish, they already think they are chefs. In my country, we make the kids make an omelette, and if it's not what we expect, they don't have a job.' He took his first job in a kitchen in France where he learned under the guidance of a Michelin star chef as he learned the basics, including vegetable preparation. 'How to peel potatoes, peel onions, and work those things. I had no idea. The chef saw me doing it well and then I was able to do a little bit more in the kitchen. I had to grow and study every day to get to where I am right now. Even with 40 years of experience, I still study. If you don't learn as a chef, you are in the wrong business.' The pair are committed to continuous quality improvement and have regular conversations to ensure guests are receiving an experience they want to have again. 'We always review the service and even if everything was successful, we still talk to see areas where we could improve,' explained Dell'Osso. Chef Philippe has called Canada home since 1993, making stops in Parry Sound, Toronto, Whistler, and Vancouver, along with stints in Mexico, California and New York. His recognition is expected to elevate Oxford County's reputation in the culinary world, attracting food enthusiasts and aspiring chefs alike. 'We are incredibly proud of Chef Philippe and his contribution to our culinary scene,' said Meredith Maywood, Tourism Specialist from Tourism Oxford. 'This is a momentous occasion for Philippe, The Elm Hurst Inn and Spa, and Oxford County. We look forward to seeing the continued impact of Philippe's talent and dedication.'
Reuters
27-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Expand Energy on track to boost US natgas output to meet growing demand
Feb 27 (Reuters) - Expand Energy (EXE.O), opens new tab, formerly known as Chesapeake Energy and the biggest natural gas producer in the U.S., said on Thursday it was on track to boost output by more than 5% in 2026 from levels expected in 2025 so long as market conditions warrant such a move. CEO Nick Dell'Osso told analysts during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call that Expand was prepared to boost output from around 6.4 billion cubic feet of gas equivalent per day (bcfed) in the fourth quarter of 2024 to an estimated 7.1 bcfed in 2025 and 7.5 bcfed in 2026, depending on market conditions. Even though Expand's earnings beat fourth-quarter estimates, its shares slid by around 3% at midday on Thursday to a two-month low of $99.17. That share price decline, however, was smaller than some other U.S. energy firms like the 8% drop in shares of APA (APA.O), opens new tab and declines of 5% in shares of Comstock Resources (CRK.N), opens new tab and Range Resources (RRC.N), opens new tab. Expand said in an earnings release that it expects to run about 12 rigs and invest about $2.7 billion to get to that 7.1 bcfed of production in 2025. The company also said it intends to build incremental productive capacity for an additional $300 million by running about 15 rigs in the second half of the year to grow production from around 7.2 bcfed at the end of 2025 to an average of around 7.5 bcfed in 2026 should market conditions warrant. "Since we won't pull the trigger on this incremental capacity until midyear, we have time to watch the market and we'll have the flexibility to adjust as necessary," Dell'Osso said. "We're very prepared for both increasing capital or decreasing capital as conditions warrant." 2024 was a difficult year for the gas market due in part to a small increase in the amount of gas exported as liquefied natural gas (LNG), but 2025 and 2026 are shaping up to be much better as some LNG plants under construction enter service. "There is greater than 11 bcfd (billion cubic feet per day) of LNG capacity under construction and the domestic power market continues to grow (with) supportive data centers and rising consumer demand," Dell'Osso said on the call. "We have the assets, balance sheet and capital efficient operations to help meet this new demand," Dell'Osso said. Spot gas prices at the U.S. Henry Hub benchmark in Louisiana dropped 14% to a four-year low of $2.19 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) in 2024, prompting drillers to cut output for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic reduced demand for the fuel in 2020. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected prices would jump to $3.79 per mmBtu in 2025 and $4.16 in 2026, prompting drillers to boost output to 104.6 bcfd in 2025 and 107.3 bcfd in 2026, up from 103.1 bcfd in 2024 and a record 103.6 bcfd in 2023. "Expand is one of the few public operators that is positioned to respond to increased demand for natural gas deliveries into the (Gulf Coast) LNG corridor, and the response is coming a little sooner than was expected, but so is the demand," analysts at investment banking company Piper Sandler said in a note.
