Top Industry Associations for Culinary Careers

Perhaps, you have just graduated from a top culinary school and there’s no problem for you to secure a job at a fancy fine-dining restaurant. Everything seems to be going according to plan and you are excited about your prospects in the future. Now, you may want to take a look at some of the top associations for culinary careers to further enhance your credentials. By joining a top association, you can build your network, earn certification, support the culinary industry, boost your leadership skills, and showcase your culinary skills in competitions and exhibits. Here are some of the best associations for culinary careers.

American Culinary Federation

With a membership of over 20,000 culinary professionals, the American Culinary Federation is one of the biggest culinary associations in the United States. Founded in 1929, the association helps members to obtain certification, find jobs, and boost their careers via accreditation, international competitions, and apprenticeship programs. In the competitive world of culinary careers, it’s important to know about the latest trends in the industry and the American Culinary Federation helps you to stay ahead through seminars and workshops, the flagship magazine, and other newsletters. There are also major culinary events like the ACF National Convention, regional conferences in various states, competitions, and more. The ACF also gives out top national awards like the U.S.A’s Chef of the Year Award, and more.

The James Beard Foundation

Established in 1986 by friends and colleagues of the “Dean of American Cookery” to commemorate the man’s passion and vision in culinary arts, the James Beard Foundation is a premier culinary association in the United States. The James Beard Foundation run more than 250 programs and events each year, dedicated to the preservation of the art of American culinary. The foundation also provides scholarships and professional grants to students who need financial help in culinary education. JBF also gives out the most coveted culinary honors in the country and they are rightly called ‘the Oscars of the food world.” If you want to kick start your culinary career and expand your horizons, the JBF is the best place to start.

National Restaurant Association

Owners of restaurants in the United States are highly encouraged to join the National Restaurant Association. Currently, there are more than 380,000 members in the association, ranging from educators, suppliers, non-profits, and of course, restaurants. It represents a major networking avenue for people connected to the restaurant business. The National Restaurant Association provides a lot of resources like tools and solutions, research and insights, and more. They also help chefs to find jobs and opportunities.

International Association of Culinary Professionals

For chefs who want to extend their network on an international level, the International Association of Culinary Professionals is just the right association to join. Founded in 1978, it has more than 4,000 members spread across more than 32 countries. Whether you wish to further your culinary education or develop your culinary career, the IACP has the resources to help you along. There’s also the IACP Cookbook Awards so you get the chance to exhibit your culinary talents to the rest of the world.

Where Did the Iron Chefs Go to Culinary School

The one common denominator among all celebrity chefs is that this level of success didn’t happen overnight. It took hard work, development of skills, experience, practice, a good attitude and the all-important passion and determination. So where did the Iron Chefs go to culinary school, and what are the qualifications of our favorite culinary celebrities? Surprisingly, not every celebrity chef even attended culinary school, but most of them did have formal training.
The following Iron Chefs and other culinary celebrities are among the best educated in the bunch:
•    Alton Brown
As the host of Iron Chef America and his own Food Network show (Good Eats), the man known as Alton Brown has attained a level of success many chefs only dream of. He rose to fame quickly, but not until after he graduated from the New England Culinary Institute in 1997.
•    Mario Batali
This culinary powerhouse is more than just another Iron Chef; he has also hosted his own series on Food Network and PBS, and he has run several successful restaurants. Batali is most well known for his Italian food, but he has mastered a number of cuisines which he uses to his advantage on Iron Chef America. He didn’t graduate from culinary school, which may surprise some, although he did attend Le Cordon Bleu in London briefly. He completed a dual degree in economics and Spanish theater at Rutgers University.
•    Bobby Flay
His name has become a brand in itself. As one of the Iron Chefs on Iron Chef America, host of several Food Network series and owner/executive chef of several New York City restaurants, Bobby Flay is a known commodity in the culinary field. He graduated from the prestigious French Culinary Institute during its first graduating class in 1984.
•    Guy Fieri
The host of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and several other series has become one of the busiest and most popular celebrity chefs since he won the competition series The Next Food Network Star. He majored in hospitality management at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and owns several successful restaurants in Northern California.
•    Emeril Lagasse
He may not be an Iron Chef, but he is definitely one of the most well known television chefs, moving past the Food Network and even making a brief foray into sitcom television. After graduating from the Johnson & Wales University College of Culinary Arts in 1978, he went on to open numerous restaurants and create a multimedia empire.
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