The Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis, Inc. is a non-profit organization of culinary professionals dedicated to furthering the education, certification and camaraderie within our culinary community, and responding to the social and nutritional needs of our community at large.

As the St. Louis chapter of the American Culinary Federation, we are a proud part of the largest professional chefs' organization in North America. Established in 1929, the American Culinary Federation (ACF) was formed by the combined visions of three chefs' associations in New York, and is now comprised of more than 18,000 members in 240 chapters across the United States.

Chef’s de Cuisine Association of St. Louis, Inc. focuses on assisting the culinary education, and certification of professional cooks and chefs. Our events and programs focus on continuing education in the culinary and nutritional arts. We are active fund raisers, to benefit culinary grants and scholarships, to fund our Knowledge Bowl and Culinary Cooking Teams, to assist our fellow professionals in their times of need, and in our Chef and Child outreach program, to educate children on proper nutrition.

We cordially invite you to join us for any of our meetings and events, regardless of your culinary background. You will find our fellowship welcoming, educational, and genuinely interested and interesting.

The American Academy of Chefs (AAC) is the Honor Society of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and was organized in 1952 by the ACF Board of Directors. The Academy is a way for the ACF to recognize the achievements of its fellow culinarians. The leadership of the AAC is through the Chair and National Vice Chair, both of whom are elected by Academy fellows.

The Academy’s Mission
The goal of the Academy fellows is to demonstrate the highest standards of professionalism within the organization, the food service industry, and within the society at-large. AAC fellows always promote education in within our profession and support those efforts by passing on the skills, training, and expertise they possess. AAC fellows are always accountable for presenting a positive image throughout the local, regional, and national communities at events they attend and sponsor.

To obtain an official American Academy of Chefs application, an applicant must have his or her chapter president or other chapter officer request an application on the individual’s behalf from the AAC National Office. An applicant may not request his or her own application. Fellowship in the American Academy of Chefs shall be composed of ACF Certified Master Chefs, Certified Master Pastry Chefs, Certified Executive Chefs, Certified Executive Pastry Chefs, and Certified Culinary Educators of honorable character. These chefs must have a minimum of fifteen years culinary experience in which at least two years have been as a Certified Executive Chef/Pastry Chef or Certified Culinary Educator. The applicant must be an active member of the ACF.

Local, Regional & National AAC Activities
Fellows of the Academy should be leaders within their own chapters, spearheading the chapter’s activities.

Academy fellows should be willing to accept the role of foodservice advisor in local junior colleges or secondary school programs, as well as be willing to assist in regional Academy dinners, cooperating with sister chapters.

Academy fellows should be proud of their fellowship in the Honor Society of the American Culinary Federation and in their profession, and should always list certification and Academy fellowship designation after their name.

Academy fellows should strive to further the education of our young culinarians by utilizing programs such as the Sharing Culinary Traditions (SCT) Educational Program. The SCT is designed to pass on invaluable culinary skills and traditions, teach fundamentals of the profession, encourage high-quality work ethics, and promote and foster professionalism.

For more information on this prestigious group, please go the www.acfchefs.org, and click on Programs and Initiatives.

Twelve members within the Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis, Inc. have been inducted into the American Academy of Chefs. They are:

Wolfgang Bierer, CMPC, AAC
John Bogacki, CEC, CCE, AAC
Christopher Desens, CEC, AAC
George Dyhouse, CEC, AAC
Thomas Elkin, CEC, AAC
Andre Gotti, CEC, AAC
Robert Hertel, CEC, CCE, AAC, FMP
Lynn Krause, CEPC, AAC
Aidan Murphy, CMC, AAC
Oliver Sommer, CEC, AAC
Jan Verdonkschot, CEC, AAC
       (AAC National Hall of Fame, 2004)
Manfred Zettl, CEC, AAC