ACF Culinary Team USA Has Stellar Performance at the "culinary
Olympics" Placing in the Top 10 Overall and Garnering Gold and
Silver Medals Against World's Best Chefs
More Than 1,500 Chefs Representing 54 Countries Participated
in Team and Individual Competitions
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla.,
Oct. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- ACF Culinary Team USA had a
stellar performance at the 23rd annual Internationale Kochkunst
Ausstellung (IKA) International Culinary Exhibition, commonly
known as the "culinary Olympics," Oct.
5-10, in Erfurt, Germany.
All ACF Culinary Team USA
teams–national, military, regional and youth–finished in the top 10
with a medal count of two gold and five silver, proving American
cuisine is among the best in the world.
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111130/MM14918LOGO)
"We are so proud of the more than 100 ACF members and the teams
of ACF Culinary Team USA and their
performance at the IKA. It takes an incredible amount of dedication
and commitment to compete at the international level, and they
willingly put forth an enormous effort and gave many months of
their time to prepare to represent ACF and their country on the
global stage. Thank you, ACF members and ACF Culinary Team
USA. We salute you," said ACF
National President Michael Ty, CEC,
AAC. "We also thank our generous sponsors who believed in ACF
Culinary Team USA and offered
their unwavering support."
ACF Culinary National Team USA's interpretation of current American
cuisine trends using American products earned the team a silver
medal in the hot-food kitchen. In the cold-food presentation, the
team received the second-highest score and a silver medal. Of the
32 national teams that competed, the team placed sixth overall in
the world. Sweden, Norway and Germany placed first, second and third,
respectively.
ACF Culinary National Team USA
members were:
- Joseph Leonardi, CEC, of
Plainville, Mass., team captain,
executive chef, Somerset Club, Boston; ACF Rhode Island Chapter
- Timothy Bucci, CEC, CCE,
CHE, of Flossmoor, Ill.,
associate professor, Joliet Junior
College, Joliet, Ill.; ACF
Louis Joliet Chapter
- Ben Grupe of St. Louis, sous chef, Old Warson Country Club,
St. Louis; Chefs de Cuisine
Association of St. Louis Inc.
- Jennifer Kopp, CEPC, of
North Bethesda, Md., pastry chef,
Chevy Chase Club, Chevy Chase,
Md.; ACF Nations Capital Chefs Association.
- Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA,
AAC, of Ballwin, Mo.,
executive chef, Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis; Chefs de Cuisine Association of St.
Louis Inc.
- Eddie Tancredi of
White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., sous
chef, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs; ACF Columbus
Chapter
"You strive for perfection and the national team got close. In
the hot-food kitchen, we sometimes try to do too much. In cold
food, only one gold medal was awarded in the national category, and
we took silver, placing second," said ACF Culinary Team
USA Manager Steve Jilleba, CMC, CCE, AAC, corporate
executive chef, Unilever Food Solutions, Lisle, Ill. "Overall, the teams of ACF
Culinary Team USA produced the
food we wanted to show to the world, and I am proud of the efforts
put forth by all the team members, support team and
apprentices."
The military team, U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team (USACAT), were
strong in both the cold-food and hot kitchen. The team's impeccable
cold-food display earned a gold medal, and its hot-kitchen
presentation earned a silver medal. Overall, the team placed fourth
following Switzerland, first;
Great Britain, second; and
Germany, third.
"USACAT performed exceptionally well, and I am so proud of our
team's dedication and hard work," said USACAT Manager Chief Warrant
Officer 4 Russell Campbell, CEC, chief, Advanced Food Service
Training Division, U.S. Army. "USACAT is honored to be part of the
bigger picture, ACF Culinary Team USA. Our teamwork, friendship and
opportunities to share assets have been significant variables in
our success."
U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team members were:
- Sergeant First Class Steven
Broome, CEC, of Miami,
Fla., team captain, vice chief of staff, U.S. Army,
Washington, D.C.
- Staff Sergeant Billy
Daugette of Huntsville,
Texas, enlisted aide to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, U.S. Army, Washington,
D.C.
- Senior Chief Petty Officer Derrick
Davenport, CEC, CEPC, of Detroit, enlisted aide to the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Navy, Washington, D.C.
- Sergeant Sarah Deckert,
CEC, of Grand Junction, Colo.,
enlisted aide to the Surgeon General, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.
- Sergeant First Class Motavia Alston, CEC, of
Windsor, N.C., enlisted aide to
the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.
- Petty Officer 1st Class Ed
Fuchs, CCC, of Omaha,
Neb., Department of Homeland Security Executive Dining, U.S.
Coast Guard, Washington, D.C.
ACF Culinary Regional Team USA's synergy and focus in the development of
its cold-food display was rewarded with a silver medal. The team
missed gold by only one point and placed fourth out of 46 teams.
Only two gold medals were awarded in this event. Stockholm Culinary
Team took first, Culinary Team Alberta, second, and Aargauer
Cooking Guild, third.
ACF Culinary Regional Team USA
members were:
- John Reed, CEC, CCA, team
captain, of Skokie, Ill., owner,
Customized Culinary Solutions, Skokie; ACF Windy City Professional
Culinarians Inc.
- Brian Campbell, CEC, CCE,
of Waxhaw, N.C., associate
instructor, Johnson & Wales
University, Charlotte,
N.C.; ACF North Carolina Chapter
- Shawn Culp, CEC, of
Bridgeville, Penn., culinary
instructor, Art Institute of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh; ACF
Pittsburgh Chapter
- Adam Heath, CEC, of
Houston, executive chef, The
Forest Club, Houston; ACF
Chattanooga Chefs & Cooks Association
- Andreas Proisl, CEPC, of Orlando, Fla., executive pastry chef,
Isleworth Country Club, Windermere,
Fla.; ACF Central Florida Chapter
ACF Culinary Youth Team USA,
all 25 years and younger per the rules, showed exceptional
teamwork, vision and professionalism. The team was awarded a gold
medal for its progressive hot-kitchen presentation and a silver
medal in cold-food display. Overall, the youth team placed fifth
out of 25 competing countries. Sweden, Norway and Switzerland placed first, second and third,
respectively.
ACF Culinary Youth Team USA
members, students at Oregon Coast Culinary Institute, Coos Bay, Ore., were:
- Edalyn Garcia, team captain, of Coos Bay; ACF Bay Area Chefs Association of
Oregon
- Laura Chandler of
Bandon, Ore.; ACF Bay Area Chefs
Association of Oregon
- Maddie Cutts of
Coos Bay; ACF Bay Area Chefs
Association of Oregon
- Reilly Meehan of
Soquel, Calif.; ACF national
member
- Alfonso Mendoza of
Coos Bay; ACF Bay Area Chefs
Association of Oregon
- Krista Nakamura of
Maple Valley, Wash.; ACF
Washington State Chefs Association
More than 1,500 chefs representing 54 countries participated in
the IKA team and individual competitions. Founded in 1896, the IKA
serves as a world-class venue for talented chefs from around the
globe to showcase culinary skill and innovation. Similar to the
traditional Olympic Games, which brings together the best athletes
from around the world, the IKA is the single most elite competitive
culinary event. Every four years, professional teams and
individuals from around the world assemble in Erfurt, Germany, to compete for gold, silver and
bronze medals in several categories. The
United States has participated in the "culinary Olympics"
since 1956.
About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the
premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 20,000 members
spanning more than 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary
leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship
and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most
comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified
Executive Chef® and Certified Sous Chef™ designations the only
culinary credentials accredited by the National Commission for
Certifying Agencies. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for
the United States in major
international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child
Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children
and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit
www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ACFChefs
and on Twitter @ACFChefs.
Editor's Note: For a high-res photo or to schedule an
interview with a team member, contact Patricia Carroll at (904) 484-0247 or
pcarroll@acfchefs.net, or Justine
Harris at (904) 484-0213 or jharris@acfchefs.net.
Media Contacts:
Patricia Carroll, Director of
Communications
(904) 484-0247; pcarroll@acfchefs.net
Justine Harris, Communications
Manager
(904) 484-0213, jharris@acfchefs.net
SOURCE The American Culinary Federation, Inc.