Smash & Sear: Best in Burger

Fire meets sizzling Rowe Beef at Hale Muskoka, where some of Ontario's most magnetic culinary talents step up to the Broil King grill for an afternoon of unapologetic indulgence. This is smash burger culture elevated: juicy, char-kissed patties built on locally sourced Muskoka ingredients and dressed in toppings that push the format further than you thought a burger could go. Cheeses by Jesse Tree Fine Foods. Beer by Muskoka Brewery. Wine by The Grange of Prince Edward Winery, which swept the 2026 Ontario Wine Awards with 11 medals, including Double Gold for their Estate Series Riesling and Chardonnay. Five chefs. One title. Zero restraint. Bring your appetite and your cottage crew for a day that moves between tasty bites, cold drinks, and live music, set against the backdrop of Muskoka at its most alive. Whoever walks away with "Best in Burger" earns their place in the region's culinary lore, and you'll be there to watch it happen. COMPETING CHEFS Chef Melanie Robinson – Defending Champion, 2025 Hale Smash & Sear; Chopped Canada winner; chef-owner of Eclectic Café & Catering, Orillia. Chef Gene Carpenter – Runner-up, 2026 Great Burger Showdown; co-owner and chef of Atomic Burger, Toronto. Chef Dylan James – Executive Chef of Fire Feast Elora; partner in The Metcalfe Smokehouse, Elora. Chef Bradley Yip – Private chef to Forbes Top 50 families and Hollywood A-listers across Muskoka, Aspen, and Miami; founder of CuisineSavant; trained under Susur Lee at George. Chef Spencer Wolf – Culinary Ambassador for Broil King; formerly of Langdon Hall. JUDGES Chef Charmaine Broughton – Host of "In Char's Kitchen" on YourTV Muskoka; author of Delicious & Doable; instructor at The Creative Cook, Bracebridge. Chef Melanie Dunkelman – Trained under Michael Stadtlander, Paul Boehmer, and Arpi Magyar; chef-owner of Season 2 Taste, Owen Sound. Chef Ben Kersley – Top 30 Under 30 hospitality professional known for an ingredient-driven approach to modern Canadian cuisine and live-fire cooking; classically trained in the UK; chef-owner at Lamorna, Gravenhurst. Rod Rowe – Co-founder and owner of Rowe Beef Co., supplying Wellington County beef and Japanese Wagyu to Canada's top restaurants; former New York Mets minor-league draft pick. Chef Joel Gray – Michelin-recognized; Canada's 100 Best alum; partner in Down Home, Grey County. Limited free parking on site, with additional shuttled parking available at: Muskoka Drive-In, 1001 Theatre Rd, Gravenhurst, ON P1P 1R1