Nonprofits  June 16, 2025

BizWest dishes $1K for Meals on Wheels at VOA food fest

DENVER — Team BizWest won a $1,000 prize for Volunteers of America’s Meals on Wheels program at the Media Challenge charity cooking competition Saturday at the Spirit Wine + Food Festival in Denver.

BizWest was represented in the contest by Managing Editor Lucas High. The team included TeaLee’s Teahouse & Bookstore head chef Riyan McNeal, Volunteers of America senior director of aging and nutrition services Jered Ratschkowsky and Chill Switch Wines owner and winemaker Dave Aschwanden.

McNeal led the effort to prepare and present dozens of crab cream cheese tartelettes topped with seasoned shrimp, a strawberry slice and citrus microgreens, and plated with a wheel of strawberry cocktail sauce. Aschwanden paired the dish with a Gewurztraminer wine made with grapes organically grown at 6,800 feet in Cedarege that evoke notes of grapefruit and lychees.

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The contest featured teams helmed by other media outlets including 9News Denver, 303 Magazine and iHeartRadio.

BizWest managing editor Lucas High, TeaLee's Teahouse & Bookstore head chef Riyan McNeal and Volunteers of America senior director of aging and nutrition services Jered Ratschkowsky prepare food at Spirit Wine + Food Festival’s Media Challenge.
BizWest managing editor Lucas High, TeaLee’s Teahouse & Bookstore head chef Riyan McNeal and Volunteers of America senior director of aging and nutrition services Jered Ratschkowsky prepare food at Spirit Wine + Food Festival’s Media Challenge. Courtesy Carlie McGuire.
Team BizWest prepared crab cream cheese tartelettes topped with seasoned shrimp, a strawberry slice and citrus microgreens, and plated with strawberry cocktail sauce at the Spirit Wine + Food Festival in Denver.
Team BizWest prepared crab cream cheese tartelettes topped with seasoned shrimp, a strawberry slice and citrus microgreens, and plated with strawberry cocktail sauce at the Spirit Wine + Food Festival in Denver. Courtesy Carlie McGuire.
BizWest managing editor Lucas High and TeaLee’s Teahouse & Bookstore head chef Riyan McNeal. Courtesy Volunteers of America.

Team BizWest won a $1,000 prize for Volunteers of America’s Meals on Wheels program at the Media Challenge charity cooking competition Saturday at the Spirit Wine + Food Festival in Denver.

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