Culinary Expertise

Jamie Samford
Corporate Chef and Sales & Marketing Manager

Jamie Samford
Corporate Chef and Sales & Marketing Manager

• 20 years’ experience in the food and hospitality industries
• 3 year chef apprenticeship sanctioned by the Culinary Program of El Centro College, Texas Chefs Association and American Culinary Federation at the Double Tree Hotel Lincoln Center in 1988 – 91
• Stints with Baby Routh under the tutelage of Stephan Pyles and Kevin Rathbun, Dean Fearing at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Bristol Hotels & Resorts as Executive Chef and F&B Director, Executive Sous Chef at Rosewood’s Hotel Crescent Court, Chef de Cuisine for Clark McDaniel at Angeluna in Fort Worth, opening Chef for Lola, The Restaurant
• Lola was recognized as one of the “Top 10 New Restaurants” in Dallas, a four-star restaurant by The Dallas Morning News and well reviewed by Texas Monthly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and The Dallas Observer
• Opened Central Market’s Dallas location as Executive Chef, where he led an 80-member culinary team in preparing restaurant-quality food, developed recipes and was an expert commentator for television and print news reports 
• Published in Food and Wine, Southern Living, Dallas Morning News and Ft. Worth Star Telegram, among others.

Michael Pearce
Distributor Sales Representative, Austin/San Antonio

Michael Pearce
Distributor Sales Representative, Austin/San Antonio

• A graduate of the acclaimed Texas Culinary Academy
• Worked under the tutelage of renowned Executive Chef David Bull at the historic Driskill Hotel’s 1886 Café
• Mike was executive chef at Hill Manor in Fredericksburg, a sophisticated and luxurious restaurant set against the beauty of the Texas Hill Country
• Published in Bon Appetit and Bride’s Magazine

Steve Stumpf
Distributor Sales Representative, Dallas/Ft. Worth

Steve Stumpf,
Distributor Sales Representative, Dallas/Fort Worth

• 30-year career in the food business
• Studied at the University of Houston
• International and national restaurant and importing experience from Munich to France, California, Colorado, Ohio and Texas

Jose Vargas
Distributor Sales Representative, Dallas/Ft. Worth

Jose Vargas
Distributor Sales Representative, Dallas/Fort Worth

• 10+ years in the Food and restaurant industry
• Sous Chef for Bristol Hotels and Resorts, Star Canyon and star chef Stephen Pyles
• Executive Sous Chef for Dallas Central Market and Executive Chef for Central Market, Fort Worth
• Worked with Doug Brown at Amuse

Gary Grady
National Accounts Manager

Gary Grady,
National Accounts Manager

• Certified Culinary Professional; trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York
• 33 years of experience serving the fine dining, retail and food service business, with particular emphasis on protein
• Over 20 years with Cargill Meat Solutions directing wholesale programs for center-of the-plate purveyors and distributors for the food service segment and retail programs for many grocery chains around the country
• Initiated and conducted training initiatives and marketing campaigns for Cargill meat brands throughout the Southwest

Mark Tilley
Key Accounts Specialist

Mark Tilley,
Key Accounts Specialist

• Graduated from the University of Texas- Arlington in 1989 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication (Radio/TV Performance)
• Started in the restaurant business in front of house management with Harrigan’s in 1991 followed by Tony Roma’s
• Has been selling proteins since 1995
• Works with Ben E. Keith houses in 4 states providing Winn Meat products to their customers
• Has published several culinary articles in various publications
• Works closely with the Texas Chef’s Association in both Dallas and Fort Worth
• Voted Purveyor of the Year by the Texas Chefs Association for 2007
• Is on the Advisory Board of two Culinary Schools in the D/FW area (Tarrant County College and AIMS Academy)