Andrew Ryland Spurgin, Seafood Education & Events Director, is a Consulting Chef and Event Architect based in San Diego. Andrew has designed events and prepared menus and events honoring dignitaries and a host of glitterati over the last three decades. He has cooked for three US presidents, Martha Stewart, Dr. Jane Goodall and at the renowned James Beard House in New York City.

He grew up in London, working in his relatives' restaurant and butcher shop. His aunts introduced him early to the bounty of local purveyors and The Barrow Boys at London's historic Borough Market where he also “worked” at a young age. His family moved to San Diego in 1974.

He was chef and baker of one of California's first handcrafted, on-premise bakery/restaurants. He was executive chef/director at Waters Fine Catering, director of catering at Southern California's celebrated Piret's, and at several other respected catering and event firms. Andrew has consulted and cooked with London's Mustard Catering Ltd. and has been tutored by the cheesemongers at Neal's Yard Dairy also in London.

He has produced and designed menus and events throughout the United States, Canada, England and Mexico. 

San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyle Magazine inducted Andrew into the Chefs Hall of Fame in 2011. San Diego Magazine named him and Cooks Confab 50 People to Watch in 2011. 

Andrew regularly lectures to the industry, public and youth audiences too on sustainability, cooking, event design, culinary responsibility and entertaining. His events, interviews and photos have been featured in numerous local and national magazines, radio and TV. 

He has received the coveted ACE Award as Best Caterer in the West, Spotlight Award as National Caterer of the Year, he has consistently won accolades from a host of local magazines and media as Best Caterer in San Diego. Most recently, Andrew won the prestigious 2012 Dr. Roger Revelle Award, named after the late Dr. Roger Revelle, a past director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The award is given annually not only to scientists, but to any San Diegan who has made a significant contribution to man's ability to coexist with the marine environment.