Smash & Sear: Best in Burger

August 09, 2026

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

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

Ticket Type

Noon - 12:30pm

Noon - 12:30pm 12:30pm - 1:00pm 1:00pm - 1:30pm 1:30pm - 2:00pm 2:00pm - 2:30pm 2:30pm - 3:00pm 3:00pm - 3:30pm 3:30pm - 4:00pm

$35.00

Shipping calculated at checkout.

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Smash & Sear: Best in Burger

$35.00

Where to Find Us

Join us at 1160 Bethune Drive N, Gravenhurst, just off Highway 11.

We offer on-site accessible spots and plenty of additional parking.

There are also many nearby accommodations to turn any event into an unforgettable weekend getaway.

Rain or Shine

We're celebrating regardless of the weather! We've got you covered with plenty of tented space if it rains.

Become a Vendor

Interested in joining the lineup? Reach out to our team. We'd love to chat!

Meet the Chefs

Competing chefs

Chef Melanie Robinson

Eclectic Café & Catering· Orillia, ON

Defending Champion 2025 · Chopped Canada Winner

Chopped Canada winner — $10K prize
Trained at Georgian College; champions local Orillia producers
Eclectic Café & Catering, Orillia

Chef Gene Carpenter

Atomic Burger· Toronto, ON

2nd – Best Burger in Canada 2026

All beef butchered, ground & dry-aged 30+ days in-house
2nd place, Great Burger Showdown, Restaurants Canada 2026
Atomic Burger, 245 Greenwood Ave, Toronto

Chef Dylan James

Fire Feast / The Metcalfe Smokehouse· Elora, ON

Executive Chef

Executive Chef, Fire Feast Elora
Executive Chef, The Metcalfe Smokehouse, Elora

Chef Bradley Yip

CuisineSavant· Muskoka, ON

Private Chef · CuisineSavant

Private chef to Forbes Top 50 and Hollywood A-listers — LA, Hamptons, Tokyo, Muskoka
Trained at George restaurant (John Higgins & Lorenzo Loseto); Four Seasons; Susur Lee
Ayurvedic cuisine training in India; founder, CuisineSavant

Chef Spencer Wolf

Broil King · Langdon Hall · Rebel Creek · Beertown· Ontario

Culinary Ambassador, Broil King

Culinary Ambassador, Broil King — Canada's leading BBQ brand
Formerly of Langdon Hall Country House Hotel, Cambridge
Rebel Creek Golf Course · Beertown Restaurant Group

Judges

Charmaine Broughton

In Char's Kitchen · The Creative Cook· Bracebridge, ON

TV host · Author · Instructor

Host & producer, In Char's Kitchen on YourTV Muskoka; 25+ years in the food industry
Author, Delicious & Doable — Recipes for Real and Everyday Life
Instructor, The Creative Cook, Bracebridge

Chef Melanie Dunkelman

Season 2 Taste· Owen Sound, ON

Chef-owner, Season 2 Taste

Trained under Michael Stadtlander (Eigensinn Farm), Paul Boehmer, and Arpi Magyar
Chef-owner, Season 2 Taste — boutique catering with seasonal, locally sourced menus
Owen Sound-based; celebrated for elegant, ingredient-forward catering

Chef Ben Kersley

Lamorna· Gravenhurst, ON

Chef, Lamorna

Award-Winning Culinary Talent: Named one of Canada’s Top 30 Under 30, specializing in ingredient-driven, live-fire modern Canadian cuisine.
UK Classical Roots: Originally from southwest England, he honed his classical culinary skills in the UK before moving to Canada.
Local Muskoka Focus: Currently showcasing the finest regional Ontario ingredients at Lamorna in Gravenhurst.

Rod Rowe

Rowe Beef Co.· Mississauga, ON

Beef purveyor · Rowe Beef Co.

Co-founder, Rowe Beef Co. — Wellington County AAA/Prime beef & Snake River Farms Wagyu
~10,000 kg/week to fine restaurants, hotels, and golf clubs across Ontario
Father was a professional butcher; former minor-league baseball player (New York Mets org.)