WeAreChefs

ACF Competition at the NRA Show

How many years has it been since we had ACF culinary competition for average chefs and students at the NRA show? They brought back cold food a few years ago and now it is gone again. The ACF rolled out the contemporary food competition at the NRA show in 1997 and it was packed for all four days. I understand the problem with having a cold food display sit for four days and there is a very simple solution. Student completion is held on Saturday and Sunday and Professional Chefs on Monday and Tuesday. Other trade shows get individual sponsors for each kitchen. I am sure that if costs were kept to the cost of setting up and maintain the kitchens, and minimal prize money, enough sponsors could be found to start running contemporary ACF competition again. After all application fees should cover the costs of administration, medals and judges. We hear a lot of rumors about why the competitions ended and promises of them coming back, but what we need is leadership and action. We all know that money has a lot to do with it and we do not expect anyone to lose money. But no one should be looking to make money on it either. This should be a break even proposition that benefits the ACF, the chefs and the students and the hospitality industry leaders who attend each year.

Chef Fred

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Permalink Reply by David Ivey-Soto on August 5, 2008 at 7:56pm: Chef Fred,
I may be wrong; however, to get this to happen again, we can get it done by working the the NRA directly and setting up the competition. Quite frankly, any ACF member can become a culinary salon chair and set up a culinary competition -- and it does not have to take place in the salon chair's chapter's area...
If you need help, let me know!
:)chef david; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mark Woodland on February 21, 2009 at 9:03am: I'm intrigued by the idea of holding a competition. Forgive my naiveness but how would you go about setting up a competition for students?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jason Talcott on February 22, 2009 at 3:58pm: This is a must. The ACF needs to start reaching out to all areas of our business and the NRA is a perfect place to do just that. It seems that the bulk of ACF members are either in hotels, clubs, resorts or institutional settings and we have left our brothers and sister in the stand alone restaurants by the wayside. The NRA show would be the perfect place for chefs to show there stuff and vendors to sport thier wares. I am sure some pretty awesome kitchens could be set up just by virtue of the vendors that have equipment at the show.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Thomas Carlin CSC on February 26, 2009 at 3:19pm: There needs to be competition opportunities like this not just for students and professional chefs but those of us just in between. It would be nice if it could be set up similar to the Local to Regional to Nationals format used for major competition.; ▶ Reply to This