PRESIDENT ELECT - John Kinsella, Certified Master Chef (CMC), Certified Culinary Educator (CCE), American Academy of Chefs (AAC) - Kinsella is the president and CEO of Kincom, Inc., and senior chef instructor at Midwest Culinary Institute, Cincinnati. An ACF Member since 1975, he has held many leadership positions within the organization. Kinsella served as national secretary, 1988-1990 and 1996-2000; as chair, Chef of the Year committee, 1984-1990; and as president of ACF Greater Cincinnati Chapter, 2000-2004. He is also the author of Professional Charcuterie. As a Certified Master Chef, he is one of only 58 in the U.S.

SECRETARY ELECT - Walter Bronowitz, Certified Chef de Cuisine (CCC), Certified Culinary Educator (CCE), American Academy of Chefs (AAC) - A culinary educator for nearly 25 years, Bronowitz has served on the ACF board of directors since 2001 as Western Region vice president. He also has served on the national bylaws committee and as national certification chair. Bronowitz was awarded two ACF president’s medallions and served the ACF Washington State Chefs Association as president and board member. He most recently was Washington State culinary-apprenticeship coordinator in Seattle, and editor of American Personal Chef Association's The Professional Personal Chef college edition textbook.

TREASURER ELECT - Joe Aiello, Certified Executive Chef (CEC), American Academy of Chefs (AAC) - An ACF member since 1977, Aiello has served as treasurer and president for ACF Chicago Chefs of Cuisine, Inc. In addition, he serves as regional correspondent for the AAC newsletter, Courier. Aiello was named chapter Chef of the Year in 1987 and is the owner of Apropo Catering in Schiller Park, Ill.

CENTRAL REGION VICE PRESIDENT ELECT - David Russell, Certified Executive Chef (CEC), American Academy of Chefs (AAC) - Currently division corporate chef for Unilever Foodsolutions in Lisle, Ill., Russell has served many leadership roles in ACF Chicago Chefs of Cuisine, Inc. He is the AAC national director of public relations, and senior editor of the AAC newsletter, Courier. Russell also is the recipient of a 1999 ACF president’s medallion and 1995 Chapter Chef of the Year award.

NORTHEASTERN REGION VICE PRESIDENT ELECT - Mark Wright, Certified Executive Chef (CEC), American Academy of Chefs (AAC) - Wright is currently a culinary educator at Erie Community College in Buffalo, N.Y. and executive chef at Crag Burn Golf Club in East Aurora, NY. An active member in ACF for more than 30 years, he most recently served on the board as treasurer. Wright has been active in the ACF of Greater Buffalo New York chapter as president, treasurer, sergeant-at-arms and chairman.

SOUTHEASTERN REGION VICE PRESIDENT ELECT - Elizabeth Baase, Certified Executive Chef (CEC) - Baase is owner of Avolines Private Catering and Consulting in Perry, Ga. She has won the ACF Middle Georgia Chefs Association Chapter Chef of the Year award four times and has served as chapter president, vice president and secretary. In 1998, she won the Southeastern Region Chef of the Year award and won the ACF Outstanding Dedication award in 1997.

WESTERN REGION VICE PRESIDENT ELECT - Harry Brockwell, Certified Executive Chef (CEC), American Academy of Chefs (AAC)- Brockwell has served ACF as president of ACF Channel Islands Chefs Association, and won chapter Chef of the Year twice. In addition, he was named Western Region Chef of the Year in 1996 and has been awarded two ACF president’s medallions. Brockwell was the ACF California State representative for two years. He owns Oceanside Caterers in Westlake Village, Calif.

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHEFS CHAIR ELECT -John Minniti, Certified Culinary Educator (CCE), American Academy of Chefs (AAC) - Minniti is the culinary arts coordinator for Cinnaminson Board of Education in New Jersey. He belongs to ACF Professional Chefs Association of New Jersey, and has been on the AAC board of directors since 1999 as national vice chair, transitioning to chair in 2003. In addition, Minniti is a member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Honorable Honor of the Golden Toque, Epicurean World Master Chefs Society and Professional Chefs Association of South Jersey Board of Trustees.

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHEFS VICE CHAIR ELECT - Thomas Macrina, Certified Executive Chef (CEC) - As executive corporate chef at the Desmond Great Valley Hotel in Plymouth Meeting, Penn., Macrina is a member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Honorable Honor of the Golden Toque, and serves on the board of directors for the Salvation Army Philadelphia. He has been president of ACF Philadelphia Chapter since 1996, and was the coach of the ACF Culinary Team USA 2004 Youth Team.

As current ACF President, Edward G. Leonard, CMC, AAC, will become Immediate Past President once the new officers are installed on August 3. Leonard has been ACF president since 2001, as well as the vice president of the World Association of Cooks Societies (WACS). He is manager and team captain for ACF Culinary Team USA 2004 and 2008; the team won a gold medal at the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung, or “culinary Olympics” in October 2004. In addition, he is author of Tastes and Tales of a Chef: The Apprentice’s Journey and Cooking with America’s Championship Team: Sizzling Recipes from Chef Edward G. Leonard, CMC, and the American Championship Culinary Team. Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., presented him with an honorary doctorate in culinary arts in May 2005.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in America. With nearly 20,000 members and 240 chapters nationwide, ACF offers educational resources, training, professional certification, apprenticeship and accreditation programs. In addition, the ACF is the presidium for the World Association of Cooks Societies (WACS), the international network of chefs associations, with more than eight million members globally. For more information, please visit www.acfchefs.org

Largest gathering of professional culinarians in United States takes place July 30 - Aug 2

ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA., June 15, 2005 – The American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., announces its 2005 National Convention at the Rivercenter Marriott and Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, July 29 - Aug 2.

Thousands of culinarians, from students to certified master chefs, will converge on the eighth-largest city in the United States to capitalize on professional-development opportunities, discover emerging menu trends, hone technical skills and compete in cook-offs for cash prizes and awards, all under the banner of this year’s convention theme: “Brand Your Future!”

Highlights of this year’s ACF National Convention include an inaugural event and a milestone:

* Student Mentoring and Culinary Forum - One of the most exciting new additions to the ACF National Convention will be the Student Mentoring and Culinary Forum, hosted by President Edward G. Leonard, CMC. As one of the nation’s and ACF’s most celebrated chefs, this is a unique opportunity for students to be mentored by the ACF Culinary Team 2004 and 2008 captain and manager, and president of the organization.

The inaugural program, sponsored by Johnson & Wales University, will be held Saturday, July 30, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at the Rivercenter Marriott in San Antonio. All students are invited to attend the brunch and panel discussion followed by several skills-building demos. Attendees will be given a free copy of Cooking with America’s Championship Team: Sizzling Recipes from Chef Edward Leonard, CMC, and the American Culinary Team by Edward G. Leonard, CMC.

* Skills for Culinarians Day sponsored by Nestlé FoodServices, featuring The Ritz-Carlton Culinary Showcase – Nine internationally-renowned Nestlé and Ritz-Carlton chefs will take part in contemporary cooking demonstrations and share their knowledge with other culinarians. Nestlé’s seminars include Mid-Atlantic with a Touch of Low Country and Colorful Foods of the Caribbean Cuisine in the U.S., while the Ritz-Carlton chefs’ demos will feature a range of international flavors.

* Book signings - Join chef authors for a special book signing opportunity at the convention. Books and authors include Cooking with America’s Championship Team: Sizzling Recipes from Chef Edward Leonard, CMC, and the American Culinary Team by Edward G. Leonard, CMC; Tastes and Tales of a Chef: A Culinary Journey with Mr. A by Joe Amendola, CEPC, CCE, AAC, HOF; Tastes and Tales of a Chef: The Apprentice's Journey by Edward G. Leonard, CMC; Tastes and Tales of a Chef: Stories and Recipes by Frederic H. Sonnenschmidt, CMC, AAC; So You Want to be a Chef? by Brad Barnes, CMC, CCA, AAC; and American Culinary Federation’s Guide to Culinary Certification by Brad Barnes, CMC, CCA, AAC, and Michael Baskette, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC.

* Educator of the Year competition - This annual ACF award will be determined for the first time by a two-round competition in which each of four educators will give a 20-minute lecture on fabricating leg of lamb, then utilize that protein in an entrée.

* Golden Anniversary of the American Academy of Chefs - ACF’s honor society celebrates its 50th anniversary at this year’s ACF convention, marked by a gala dinner prepared by the Marriott Rivercenter’s executive chef, Donald Hoffman, CSC, and his team.

* Expanded Educators Symposium. ACF’s annual one - day symposium dedicated to foodservice-educator issues will expand into three 4 hour sessions, with a special segment targeting secondary (high school) teachers.

* Trade Show - From apparel to equipment and appetizers to utensils, ACF’s National Convention Trade Show, July 31- Aug 1, offers an array of resources for the professional culinarians. The trade show, held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, also features a competition kitchen and chef demo stage. The show is open to the public and tickets may be purchased on site.

Additionally, ACF will host various competitions at the trade show, such as the second-annual Pastry Chef of the Year competition and the third-annual competition to name the U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™ for 2005. The second-annual Nutritional Hot-Food Challenge, sponsored by Kraft Foodservice, a division of Kraft and Custom Culinary, Inc., will pit four chefs against each other to produce three-course meals that conform to prevailing health and wellness guidelines and excel in flavor and customer satisfaction.

Sponsors of the 2005 ACF National Convention include Butterball Farms, Inc., Canada Cutlery, Inc., Chef's Hat, Inc., Chef Designs, Custom Culinary, Inc., GFF, Inc., Johnson and Wales University, J. R. Simplot Company, Kraft Foodservice, a division of Kraft Foods Global, Inc., Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, MasterFoodServices, a division of Mars Incorporated, McCormick and Company, Mexican Shrimp Council, Nestlé FoodServices, National Pork Board, R.C. Fine Foods, R.L. Schreiber, Inc., Sara Lee Coffee & Tea, Schulstad Royal Danish, The American Lamb Board, The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Incorporated, The Art Institutes, Culinary Arts, The National Honey Board, Tyson Foods, Inc., Unilever Foodsolutions, US Foodservice and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in America. With nearly 20,000 members and 240 chapters nationwide, ACF offers educational resources, training, professional certification, apprenticeship and accreditation programs. In addition, the ACF is the presidium for the World Association of Cooks Societies (WACS), the international network of chefs associations, with more than eight million members globally.

For more information, please visit www.acfchefs.org.

Wales is one of 10 teams from around the world that has been invited to contest the Culinary Masters competition at the fifth Salon Culinaire Mondial in Basel, Switzerland from November 19-23.

During the competition, which is held every six years, the world's best chefs put their culinary skills to the test when preparing mouthwatering dishes for a hot kitchen menu and display pieces for a cold buffet table.

Preparations for the Swiss challenge begin in earnest today (Monday, June 27) when the Welsh chefs invite 30 guests to sample their hot kitchen menu at Coleg Llandrillo.

The team selected for Switzerland shows three changes to the line up for the KNORR World Culinary Grand Prix at ScotHot 2005 in Glasgow in April, where they won silver and bronze medals.

Gareth Dwyer, recently appointed head chef at The Castle Hotel, Conwy, Jimmy Williams, head chef at Nant Hall, Prestatyn and pastry chef Toby Beevers, sales support manager for Woodward Foodservice, Flint, are drafted into the team.

Team manager is Graham Tinsley, co-owner of the Castle Hotel, Conwy and Nant Hall, Prestatyn, captain Lee Jeynes, head chef at Crag Brow Hotel, Bowness on Windermere and vice captain Wayne Roberts, chef partner of The Waterfront Restaurant, Trearddur Bay.

The back up members are Mike Bates and Adam Whittle from the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Steve Hewitt, of Bodysgallen Hall Hotel, Llandudno, Hefin Roberts, head chef at Cobdens Restaurant, Capel Curig, Adam Taylor of Hotel Maes-y-neuadd, Talsarnau, Harlech, Jamie Beasant, of St Brides Hotel, Saundersfoot, Kevin Williams, head chef at Hurst House, East Marsh, Laugharne and Ian Hudson.

The hot kitchen menu is: Starter: Pan fried zander with white bean puree, langoustine royal, potato biscuit and tomato jelly. Main course: Roast loin of veal with oxtail ragout, root vegetable gratin and Pembrokeshire potatoes. Dessert: Welsh honey cake with raspberry ripple parfait, pistachio and raspberry doughnut, orange and Penderhyn Whiskey compote.

"Switzerland has a very traditional culinary style, so we have designed our dishes accordingly," said Mr Tinsley. "The hot kitchen dishes are very similar to our menu in Scotland, but they have been tweaked following comments from the judges.

"For the cold table, we plan to use a saltdough showpiece and try to avoid repetition, for which we were marked down in Scotland.

"Although we were disappointed to win only silver and bronze medals in Scotland, it was reassuring to be told by the judges that we were not that far away from gold medals. As a team we just need to go up a gear and pay greater attention to detail, which comes through practicing together."

He said the Welsh team for Switzerland showed several new faces and he looked forward to the injection of new ideas and enthusiasm.

It will be the first time that Dwyer, Williams and Beevers have competed in the front line senior team, while Bates, Whittle and Hewitt are completely new to international competition scene.

The Welsh National Culinary Team is sponsored by the Welsh Development Agency to promote the food and drink industry brand 'True Taste' and by C&C Catering Equipment Ltd, Brakes, Unilever Foodsolutions UK, Catering Engineers (N.W.) Ltd, Hybu Cig Cymru/ Meat Promotion Wales, Celtic Pride and Vin Sullivan Foods, Abergavenny.
Ends

Notes for Editors: The Salon Culinaire Mondial is one of just six global competitions accredited by the World Association of Cooks' Societies (WACS).

For more information please contact Duncan Foulkes, public relations consultant, on 01686 650818 or Graham Tinsley, Welsh National Culinary Team manager, on 07765 404950.

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