AMERICAN CULINARY FEDERATION FOUNDATION
PRESS RELEASE

Aidan Murphy, CMC, AAC, Selected to Compete
in Continental Chefs Competition

St. Augustine, Fla., May 8, 2007-Aidan Murphy, certified master chef (CMC), American Academy of Chefs (AAC), executive chef at Old Warson Country Club, St. Louis, has been selected to represent the United States at The World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) Global Chefs Competition for The Americas, sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions, Lisle, Ill.

The competition to determine the representative for The Americas takes place in Orlando, Fla. in July. Competitors include chefs from North America and South America, of which Murphy is one. The winner, who will be announced at the 2007 American Culinary Federation (ACF) National Convention, July 21-24 at the Orlando World Center Marriott, will compete in the final WACS Global Chefs Competition at the WACS World Congress, May 12-15, 2008, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for the title of WACS Global Chef.

Murphy is chairman of the board for ACF Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis and chair of the ACF Culinary Competition Committee for the Central Region. He is one of only 61 certified master chefs (CMC)'s in the United States, and was named the 2006 ACF U.S.A.'s Chef of the Year,™ sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions, Lisle, Ill.

"ACF is thrilled to have our very own American Culinary Federation U.S.A.'s Chef of the Year™ winner represent the United States in this competition," says ACF President John Kinsella, CMC, CCE, AAC. "Aidan's expertise and culinary skills have impressed me and the entire Federation, and he will no doubt represent the American Culinary Federation well as U.S.A.'s Chef of the Year™ in the Orlando competition."

Preliminary competitions for the WACS Global Chefs Challenge began in 2006, when each WACS member country had the opportunity to hold a culinary competition to determine its country's chef candidate. Those countries that did not hold a competition selected candidates. This year, the winners/nominees compete in continental competitions representing Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Pacific and Europe.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in America. With more than 19,000 members spanning 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the only 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 also holds the presidium for the World Association of Chefs Societies, the largest international network of chef associations, with more than 8 million members globally.

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