Des Moines, IA- Oct 10 – On Monday October 10th, Chef Aaron Holt, Executive Chef at RoCA, was awarded the 2018 Chef of the Year Award by the Iowa Restaurant Association for his determination and commitment to RoCA’s success. Aaron was presented the award at a ceremony in Des Moines by the Incoming Chairman of the National Restaurant Association Board of Directors Joe Essa of Wolfgang Puck Worldwide and the Current Chairman of the Iowa Restaurant Association Board of Directors Darin Beck of Barmuda Companies.   Aaron Holt is proof that you don’t need a culinary degree to be an award-winning chef.  He started working in restaurants at age 15—but at the time, it didn’t occur to him that he could make a career in the industry. In college he pursued an architecture degree but continued to work in restaurants.  During his sophomore year, at age 21, something happened that changed the course of his life—he was promoted to an executive chef position.   He worked several front of the house and chef positions— gleaning everything he could from every restaurant and role.  In 2007 Aaron approached award-winning Chef Andrew Meek and offered to work for him for free just so he could learn from the best and develop a better sense of fine dining cooking.   As the Executive Chef at RoCA, Aaron has been instrumental in creating and building the menu as well as helping to create the ambiance that RoCA tries to provide their guests night after night. He loves to use local and seasonal ingredients in his dishes, including produce he grows on his family’s farm. Not only is he fully committed to continually improving the customer experience at RoCA, but he also is paying it forward by serving as a teacher and mentor aspiring chefs. A video showcasing Aaron can be found at www.restaurantiowa.com. Iowa Restaurant Association The Iowa Restaurant Association is an advocacy organization supporting Iowa’s restaurant and bar industry with educational and promotional programs across the state. Media Contact: Josephine Jensen Public Relations Specialist jjensen@restaurantiowa.com 319-464-0766