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 Press ReleaseCertified Executive Chef® Percy Whatley to Compete in Bocuse d’Or USA Cuisine Competition in New York in February 2010St. Augustine, Fla., December 21, 2009—American Culinary Federation (ACF) Certified Executive Chef® Percy Whatley, executive chef at The Ahwahnee in Yosemite, Calif., is one of 12 chefs who will compete in the Bocuse d’Or USA Cuisine Competition held at The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., Feb. 5–6, 2010. The winning team will represent the United States in the biennial Bocuse d’Or World Cuisine Competition held in Lyon, France in January 2011. Daniel Boulud announced the semifinalists at his restaurant in New York earlier this month. Whatley is no stranger to the Bocuse d’Or USA Cuisine Competition. He competed in September 2008 for the opportunity to represent the U.S. on the world stage. Now, with “unfinished business,” he returns with a new focus on contemporary cuisine and cooking methods, he says. Whatley has chosen Melissa Marshall, an extern at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, St. Helena, Calif., to be his commis. About the competitionAt the final competition, Feb. 6, 2010, twelve teams will create two protein dishes before a live audience and present them to a panel of distinguished judges. The winning team who will represent the U.S. in France will be announced at the Awards Gala Dinner that night. They will receive an awards trophy and $5,000. Then, the team will spend the next year training under Foundation board members Daniel Boulud; Thomas Keller, HHOF, ACF National Chapter; and Jérôme Bocuse, and others. ACF members Charlie Trotter, HHOF, and Norman Van Aken are members of the Foundation’s Culinary Council. To read more about the Bocuse d’Or, visit www.bocusedorusa.org. At The Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park’s four-diamond hotel and National Historic Landmark, Whatley oversees all aspects of food production, and manages a staff of more than 60. Whatley earned an associate’s degree in business management from the College of the Redwoods in Eureka, Calif., and graduated with honors from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. in 1997. About the American Culinary FederationThe 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, 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. # # # High-resolution headshot available by calling Leah Craig at (904) 484-0213. Contact: Leah Craig |
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