Press Release

ACF Western Regional Conference Brings Hundreds of Chefs to Seattle

Metronatural® Culinary Experience Trade Show, nutrition seminars, demos and regional cooking competitions among highlights. Media is invited to attend.

St. Augustine, Fla., March 10, 2009—The American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., is coming to Seattle for its Western Regional Conference, held at the Seattle Doubletree, April 4–6. Hosted by ACF Washington State Chefs Association, the conference brings foodservice professionals and chefs from 11 states together for a culinary weekend of networking and educational opportunities, a trade show, cooking competitions and demonstrations from the region’s best chefs. All competitions take place off-site at the Kitchen Academy–Seattle, Tukwila, Wash.

Saturday, April 4:

• ACF Student Team Regional Championship, sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.: 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Teams vie for the chance to represent the region at ACF’s national convention in Orlando in July.
• Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, sponsored by Pearson Education: 8 a.m.–noon. Student teams answer difficult cooking questions in this “Jeopardy”-style competition.
• Trade Show: Metronatural® Culinary Experience: noon–4 p.m. Attendees network and view the latest culinary products from local, regional and national exhibitors.
• For the Love of Beer, sponsored by Pike Brewing Company: 4–5:30 p.m. Charles Finkel covers the history of beer, the art of the craft brew and the harmonious relationship between beer and food.

Sunday, April 5:

• ACF Student Team Regional Championship, continued from Saturday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
• ACF Regional Pastry Chef of the Year competition, sponsored by Splenda®: 8:15–10 a.m. Three of the region’s best pastry chefs put the icing on the cake as they vie for the regional title.
• Oregon Berries: Great Taste and Great Power, sponsored by the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission: 8–9:30 a.m.
• ACF Regional Student Chef of the Year competition, sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.: 10:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Three student chefs compete for the regional title.
• Coffee and Food Pairings, sponsored by Starbucks Foodservice: 10–11:30 a.m.
• ACF’s Regional Chef of the Year competition, sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions: 11:45 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Four Western chefs compete for the regional title.
• Award Winning Cheeses of Wisconsin and Wine Pairing, sponsored by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and the International Wine Guild: 5:30–7:00 p.m.

Monday, April 6:

• Foie Gras: Artisanal Farming Meets Modern Technology, sponsored by Rougié Foie Gras: 9–10:30 a.m. This seminar explains the world history and economics of foie gras and current farming methods.
• “Killer at Large,” sponsored by ACF Chef & Child Foundation: 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Meet the executive producer of this award-winning feature-length documentary that explores startling details of the American obesity epidemic.
• Understanding, Creating and Implementing Vegetarian Programs, sponsored by ACF Chef & Child Foundation: 1:30–3 p.m.
• Meeting the Challenges—Cooking for Those with Food Allergies, sponsored by ACF Chef & Child Foundation: 3:30–5 p.m.
• Vice President’s Gala, sponsored by Boyd’s Coffee Company, Butterball Farms, Inc, Peterson Cheese Company, Splenda® and Tyson Food Service: 7–10 p.m. All award winners are announced at this formal dinner event.

The event is open to foodservice industry professionals. A full-registration package for non-ACF members is $525. Daily badges are $75. Registration is available on-site. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org or call (800) 624-9458.

Sponsors of the 2009 ACF Western Regional Conference and ACF national award sponsors are: Alaska Silk Pie Company; Barber Foods; Beef Information Center; Bon Chef, Inc.; Boyd’s Coffee Company; Bunge Oils; Butterball Farms, Inc.; Canada Cutlery Inc.; Canola Council of Canada/CanolaInfo; Cargill Meat Solutions; Cargill Salt; The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Inc.; Custom Culinary, Inc.; Enviro-Solutions; GFF, Inc./Girard’s Dressings; Guittard Chocolate Co.; International Wine Guild; Kendall College School of Culinary Arts; Marine Farms Belize, Ltd.; Mind’s Eye Resource Management, LLC; The National Pork Board and America’s Pork Producers; Nestlé Professional; NewChef Fashion Inc.; Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats; Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission; Pearson Education; Pike Brewing Company; Peterson Cheese Company; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; Rougié Foie Gras; Rubbermaid Commercial Products; Splenda®; Starbucks Foodservice; SYSCO Seattle, Inc.; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Foodsolutions; Vita-Mix; Washington State Potato Commission; Western State Beef Councils in partnership with Snake River Farms; and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 22,000 members spanning 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org.

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Media is invited to attend. Contact Leah Craig at (800) 624-9458, ext. 113 to register for press credentials, or email lcraig@acfchefs.net.

Contact: Leah Craig
Public Relations Specialist
(800) 624-9458, ext. 113
lcraig@acfchefs.net

• ACF Western Regional Conference Brings Hundreds of Chefs to Seattle